Denmark has deported a seven-year-old child and her mother following the death of their benefactor in the country. Im Nielsen’s stepfather, and mother Suthida Nielsen’s husband, succumbed to cancer last year.
Following the death of Mr Nielsen, The Danish Immigration Service sought to have Im and her mother sent back to their native Thailand. The department said that with the demise of Mr Nielsen, the duo did not have sufficient ties to Denmark to justify their continued residence here.
The case went to court in September and the judge ruled the Nielsen’s should be sent back to Thailand. An appeals court confirmed the decision last month and the Copenhagen Post reported that the pair were put on an aeroplane bound for Thailand on Sunday.
Before boarding the flight to Thailand, Danish reporters questioned Im. She told them she was being forced out of Denmark because her father had died. She continued by saying she would miss her grandparents as well as her classmates at Aabybro Skole.
She said she was worried about going to a new school in Thailand and the fact that she did not know anybody or have any friends there. When the case first went to court, the Nielsen’s lawyer stated that Im had spent half of her short life in Denmark and only spoke Danish.
Justice Minister Morten Bodskov told reporters affiliated to the Danish national newspaper Berlingske after the deportation that he had asked the country’s civil servants to ensure immigration laws remained fair. The minister said he could not interfere with individual cases, but wanted to make sure new residents were not evicted after the death of a sponsor if their ties to the country were strong.