Danish children’s rights campaigner found guilty of smuggling

By Catherine Hardy

A court in Denmark has fined a prominent children’s rights campaigner for giving a family of Syrian migrants a lift across the country to Sweden.

Lisbeth Zornig Andersen and her husband Michael Lindholm have both been fined 22,250 Danish crowns (2, 983 euros) under Denmark’s Aliens Act.

Zornig Andersen, a former chair of the Danish National Children’s Council, took the family of six to her home in September last year.

Danish media reported that Mr Lindholm later drove them on to a bridge crossing from where they could travel to Sweden.

The court ruled the couple are guilty of violating Danish immigration laws forbidding assisting foreigners to cross Denmark illegally.

The legislation bans providing transport to people who do not hold a resident’s permit.

The couple has two weeks to appeal.

A Danish citizen was fined in January for driving five migrants to Sweden.

In numbers

Hundreds of refugees and migrants were crossing into Germany at the time.

Denmark, like its neighbour Sweden and a host of other European countries, has tightened border controls in response to the migrant and refugee crisis.

279 – arrested for the same offence between September 2015 and February 2016

140 – arrested for the same offence during the whole of 2014

163,000 – the number of refugees accepted in Sweden in 2015

21,000 – the number accepted in Denmark in 2014 (a 44% increase)

What they are saying

“I am furious. Anything but an acquittal is wrong.” Lisbeth Zornig Andersen says the court wanted to set an example.

“This was the wrong decision by the judge. Since no money changed hands, this could not be seen as smuggling under the United Nations protocol against the smuggling of migrants” the couple’s lawyer, Bjorn Elmquist thinks it is the wrong decision.

“I am not proud of this for our country. Our legislation is bad. I had hoped the judges would have kept an open mind about that” Bjorn Elmquist

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-03-12

No money changed hands ok.

Breaking the law is an offence, maybe you do not like that law, but if countries didnt have laws anarchy would rule.

Coming on the same day as the MUCH more newsworthy Ostersund incidents and more importantly the polices solution to them(women not allowed to walk the streets alone). Why o why does news not get reported properly, it leaves such a lopsided view of reality. No wonder so many TVF members are seriously confused. I would hold this Mrs. Anderson personally responsible for the future crimes of this so called family of migrants, to save time just lock her up now.

In America we are called racist if we want tighter boarder controls or even just the existing laws enforced. How come the Danes and the sweeds get a free pass and are often held as examples by our left?

During WW II, a lot of Danes helped Jews to get across to Sweden; after the war those people were honored and celebrated as heroes.

During WW II, a lot of Danes helped Jews to get across to Sweden; after the war those people were honored and celebrated as heroes.

But during WW II they were shot together with the rest of the family (and sometimes with neighbours too)

And if you don't know WW III has already started... (It's only not confirmed, yet)

And Muslims are invading Western Europe !!!

One of the rare occasions I'd be all in favour of short-time jail sentences, so those goody-two-shoes won't be collecting the money for that fine among their sanctimonious cronies. When are those deluded do-gooders going realize borders and laws are there for a reason, and that's not availing them a chance to disregard them and feel saintly?