Women at Kærshovedgård Departure Center report harassment amid delayed transfer to Avnstrup

Over 200 men and 13 women currently reside at Kærshovedgård Departure Center, where several women have reported incidents of sexual harassment, including staring, inappropriate offers, and groping. Kirsten Osmundsen, a volunteer with the Red Cross, has expressed her disapproval, labeling the situation as ridiculous.

It has been seven months since the Ministry of Immigration and Integration announced plans to relocate single women from Kærshovedgård to Avnstrup, a center that already houses families with children who have typically been denied asylum. The reason for this move was concerns over sexual harassment faced by these women. However, the transfer has yet to take place, largely due to differing food arrangements between the two centers.

At Kærshovedgård, the women are not allowed to cook for themselves, unlike families in Avnstrup, who receive funds to order food and prepare it themselves. Instead, the women at Kærshovedgård eat what is provided in the cafeteria as part of initiatives intended to encourage rejected asylum seekers to return to their home countries. After seven months, it remains uncertain if the women will be able to secure outside food upon their transfer to Avnstrup.

Osmundsen finds it deeply troubling to use food as leverage to encourage women to leave. The Minister of Immigration and Integration, Kaare Dybvad Bek, has maintained that the women should not be allowed to prepare their meals, justifying this as a differential policy for families in Avnstrup. The Red Cross, which operates Avnstrup, has voiced concerns about unequal treatment among residents.

The Ministry expects the transfer of the single women from Kærshovedgård to Avnstrup to occur within a few months once the conditions are finalized. A total of ten women are slated to move, while three will remain due to relationships with partners.