Denmark’s parliament passed a package of measures Tuesday to deter refugees from seeking asylum in the Nordic country.

The so-called “jewelry bill,” passed by an overwhelming majority, includes delaying family reunifications for three years and confiscating migrants’ valuables.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other international organizations have condemned the bill as inconsistent with the European Union policies.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Switzerland, UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards said that the bill comes at a time “when the need for solidarity and responsibility-sharing at the EU level really is the first priority.”

“The decision to give Danish police the authority to search and confiscate valuables from asylum seekers sends damaging messages in our view, it runs the risk of fueling sentiments of fear and discrimination rather than promoting solidarity with people in need of protection,” said Edwards. “On the limited access to family reunification, we just remind people of the point that family unity is a fundamental principle in international law.”

The “jewelry bill” is the latest attempt by Denmark’s seven-month-old minority center-right government to discourage the migration of people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Denmark took in a record 20,000 refugees last year.

Under the bill, Danish authorities can seize refugee property valued at more than $1,450. Valuables of special emotional value such as wedding rings will be exempt.

Denmark is not the only country targeting refugee possessions. Switzerland has started taking valuables worth over $985, the German state of Baden-Württemberg secures valuables above $380, while other southern European countries have been reported to follow a similar practice.

 
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