Tamil Case (Denmark)
Encyclopedia
The Tamil Case is the name of a case about family reunification
in Denmark
of Tamil
refugee
s from the Sri Lankan Civil War
. The case led to the resignation
of the government led by Poul Schlüter
in 1993.
The Minister of Justice Erik Ninn-Hansen
decided to stall the advance of family reunification of Tamil refugees, which was justified due to the improvement of the situation in Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, Danish law clearly ensured the Tamil refugees the right to family reunification
, thus rendering the justice minister's order illegal.
When the case appeared in the media, several political parties opposed a re-election of Erik Ninn-Hansen and others demanded an investigation, ultimately leading to the resignation of Erik Ninn-Hansen as justice minister in 1989.
Four civil servants in the Department of Justice were charged and the justice minister was put before a court of impeachment, which led to the resignation of the government in 1993. In 1995 Erik Ninn-Hansen was found guilty of three cases of power abuse and received a suspended sentence
of 4 months of prison.
The case is well-known in Denmark due to an infamous speech by the sitting prime minister Poul Schlüter, wherein he stated that "nothing is hidden beneath the carpet". The phrase is now a common Danish catchphrase.
Family reunification
Family reunification is a recognized reason for immigration in many countries. The presence of one or more family members in a certain country, therefore, enables the rest of the family to immigrate to that country as well....
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
of Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s from the Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
. The case led to the resignation
Resignation
A resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position. It can also refer to the act of admitting defeat in a game like chess, indicated by the resigning player declaring "I resign", turning his king on its side, extending his hand, or stopping the chess clock...
of the government led by Poul Schlüter
Poul Schlüter
Poul Holmskov Schlüter is a Danish politician, who served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 1982 to 1993.Born in Tønder, south Jutland, he graduated from the University of Copenhagen in 1957 with a degree in law, and joined the bar in 1960. Schlüter was a member of the Danish Parliament for the...
in 1993.
History
The case began in 1987 when the government examined the possibilities of decreasing the number of Tamil family reunifications.The Minister of Justice Erik Ninn-Hansen
Erik Ninn-Hansen
Erik Ninn-Hansen is a Danish politician. He served in the Cabinet of Hilmar Baunsgaard, first as Defence Minister, and later as Finance Minister...
decided to stall the advance of family reunification of Tamil refugees, which was justified due to the improvement of the situation in Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, Danish law clearly ensured the Tamil refugees the right to family reunification
Family reunification
Family reunification is a recognized reason for immigration in many countries. The presence of one or more family members in a certain country, therefore, enables the rest of the family to immigrate to that country as well....
, thus rendering the justice minister's order illegal.
When the case appeared in the media, several political parties opposed a re-election of Erik Ninn-Hansen and others demanded an investigation, ultimately leading to the resignation of Erik Ninn-Hansen as justice minister in 1989.
Four civil servants in the Department of Justice were charged and the justice minister was put before a court of impeachment, which led to the resignation of the government in 1993. In 1995 Erik Ninn-Hansen was found guilty of three cases of power abuse and received a suspended sentence
Suspended sentence
A suspended sentence is a legal term for a judge's delaying of a defendant's serving of a sentence after they have been found guilty, in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation...
of 4 months of prison.
The case is well-known in Denmark due to an infamous speech by the sitting prime minister Poul Schlüter, wherein he stated that "nothing is hidden beneath the carpet". The phrase is now a common Danish catchphrase.