Inger Støjberg

File:Inger Støjberg, juni 2023.png

Inger Støjberg, 2023.

Inger Støjberg (born 16 March 1973) is a Danish politician, businesswoman and former reporter who served as a government minister in the Danish Parliament.

Støjberg served as the minister for gender equality from 2009 to 2010, as minister for employment between 2010 and 2011, and as minister for immigration, integration and housing between June 2015 and June 2019.[1]

A member of the Danish Parliament from the 2001 elections to 2021, she was a member of the liberal Venstre party until 4 February 2021, but left after a majority of the party's MPs voted to impeach her for an order she gave while serving as minister for immigration. On 13 December that year, she was convicted of separating asylum seeker families in which at least one spouse was under 18, and sentenced to 60 days in prison.[2] On 21 December, a majority in the Folketing voted that the sentence means that she is no longer worthy of sitting in the Folketing and she therefore immediately lost her seat.[3]

In June 2022, Støjberg founded Denmark Democrats - Inger Støjberg.[4]

Asylum Laws

Asylum laws Støjberg led a tightening of Danish asylum law which came into force 1 September 2015, and which, among other things, limited the provision of social services for asylum seekers.[11] According to Støjberg, it should be unattractive for asylum seekers to travel into Denmark.[12] Støjberg created controversy by starting an advertising campaign warning against applying for asylum in Denmark. Ads were posted in Lebanese newspapers, with plans on posting them in asylum seekers' homes in ten different languages and distributing them via social media.[13]

Moreover, particularly in the Anglophone sphere, the "Jewelry law", which was introduced under Støjberg, and which decreed that asylum seekers already at the border give up a part of their valuables as a pledge for later service costs was critically reported on,[14] in connection to which comparisons to Nazism were also made by commentators.[who?][15] In March 2017, Støjberg again attracted international media attention when she celebrated the 50th tightening of immigration law during her tenure as Minister for Immigration with a cake that she photographed and published on Facebook.[16] Støjberg was directly involved in a controversial application of the Aliens Act being used to criminalize non-Danish professors who spoke or wrote publicly, being interpreted as a violation of their work visas.[17]

In May 2018, Støjberg published a post through the Danish tabloid BT, saying that Muslims fasting during Ramadan should take leave from work "to avoid negative consequences for the rest of Danish society."[18][19] Støjberg cited bus drivers as an example of workers whose performance could be negatively affected by abstaining from food and drink. Her comments provoked a backlash from other Danish politicians. A spokeswoman for the Danish government issued a statement which claimed that Støjberg comments were her own and did not represent the views of the country's government.[20] Bus companies also distanced themselves from Støjberg's comments. Arriva, which runs a number of bus routes in Denmark, reported that it had never had any accidents involving drivers who were fasting.[21]

Decree to Separate Young Asylum Couples at Refugee Centres

Støjberg has repeatedly been questioned regarding a decree from 2016, when she separated couples in refugee centres, where one or both persons were minors, some of them with children. The decree was illegal, and violated the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and Støjberg lied about it in Folketinget, the Danish parliament. Afterwards, she failed to report relevant details to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.[22][23][24][25] A parliamentary committee probe was launched in January 2020.[26] The committee investigated whether Støjberg violated the Convention on the Rights of the Child or the European Convention on Human Rights, both of which Denmark is subject to.[citation needed]

Impeachment

On 2 February 2021 the Folketing voted in a 141-30 (90 needed for majority) vote in favour of initiating an impeachment trial in the Danish Court of Impeachment against Støjberg.[27][28] Støjberg is formally accused of unlawful misconduct and maladministration of office, pursuant to the Minister Accountability Act and the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 8),[29] by illegally separating couples in refugee centres, where one or both persons were minors, some of them with children.[30][29]

Støjberg was convicted on 13 December 2021 and sentenced to 60 days in prison.[2] As a result, she lost her seat in the Folketing and was replaced by Gitte Willumsen.[31]

Reportedly blocked the draft for women in 2009-2010.

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