The refugee crisis in Europe is still continuing, with thousands still fleeing war-torn countries in Africa and the Middle-East. It was estimated that at least a million people tried to enter Western Europe through Greece, Spain, Turkey and Italy. Many countries in Europe have now started accepting refugees to ease the strain on the countries that the asylum seekers have put on their borders and resources.

Denmark, who have since closed their borders, had accepted 21,000 people in 2015.  However, the Danish government has imposed strict and controversial  laws, in which any possessions worth more than 10,000 kroner (£1000/$1450) will be seized and kept to fund the housing and feeding effort. The government has extended family unification (when a refugee’s family members can join them in Denmark) from the standard one year to three.

Germany and Switzerland also have imposed these laws with both countries taking valuables above a certain value.

Denmark has received a lot of criticism for this law, by human rights activists and on social media, however they have something in place very similar for those on welfare. In addition, the family unification time extension was to put off asylum seekers from trying to enter the country in the first place.

This seizing of goods is similar to the horrors faced by Jewish people in World War Two, who were forced to sell items and hand over their money to the government.

“People who have suffered tremendously, who have escaped war and conflict, who’ve literally walked hundreds of kilometres if not more and put their lives at risk by crossing the Mediterranean should be treated with compassion and respect, and within their full rights as refugees,” said Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for the head of the United Nations.

Nordic neighbour, Sweden has also started checks at their boarders. After taking in a record 160,000 asylum seekers an employee was stabbed to death at a refugee centre earlier this week, which resulted in the government enforcing stricter checks.