Denmark: Iraqi-Danes enjoy benefits in Denmark, work as politicians in Iraq
Ekstra Bladet have a video interview (in Danish) with Mahmood on their site. They promise to reveal more Danish citizens working in Iraq in the near future.
A point that hasn't been made in this article is that the Kurds came to Denmark as refugees. Even now, Denmark has trouble sending Iraqi refugees back home, since it is considered dangerous. A group of 60-70 Iraqis has been hiding in a church since mid-May, protesting their planned eviction (DA). Having refugees make a living 'back home' makes a mockery of the very idea of seeking asylum. And it comes at the expense of people who actually need a place of refuge.
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Iraqis with Danish citizenship are living a secret double life, where they milk the Danish state for social benefits, while at the same time they earn high salaries as top politicians and other powerful positions in Iraq, reports Ekstra Bladet.
One of those is Balen Abdulla Mahmood (52) from Albertslund (Copenhagen), who for five years has received an early retirement disability pension while at the same time he's been a member of the Kurdish parliament. He's earned a minimum of 384.000 kroner plus many fringe benefits (free residence, pension, three bodyguards and real estate).
Balen Abdulla Mahmood confirms in a taped interview with Ekstra Bladet that he's gotten 5,000,000 Iraqi Lira ( 23,5000 kroner) every month. Other sources in Iraq say that the salary is ever higher - closer to 30,000 kroner a month, tax free.
As Danish citizens registered as living in Denmark, the Iraqis should pay Danish taxes on salary and fringe benefits in Iraq. But despite the Danish law, they did not inform the municipality of the tax authorities of their extra income, reports Ekstra Bladet.
For this reason they could also have an early retirement disability pension for several years, though they don't have a right to it, since they have too large of an income.
One of the country's leading experts in social fraud, Peter Møller, head of the inspection unit for the Ishøj municipality, has no doubt that the Iraqis broke the law. He says that it's social fraud and it should be stopped. They naturally have a duty to inform both the tax authorities and the municipality where they are registered that they have an income.
Peter Møller has no doubt either that Esktra Bladet's revelation would have consequences. They would be sued to refund the money and he says that if it happened on his turf, he would also report them to the police for fraud.
The Danish ambassador in Iraq, Mikael Winther, will now check how many Danish citizens of Iraqi origin are active in Iraqi politics. He says he knows that there are Danish-Iraqis in both the Kurdish parliament and the Iraqi national parliament, but he doesn't know how many. He will start an investigation into the issue in the fall.
Peter Skaarup, legal spokesperson for the party, says that it's hair-raising that such abuse can happen. He says we must have a throughout investigation into how many Iraqis who live in Denmark hold top positions in Iraq at the same time. There will be consequences to this, he says.
Peter Skaarup says there's not much that can surprised him from the Iraqi's side, but this is just too serious. It make a mockery of the entire Danish social system.
The Liberal Party agrees with the idea. Kim Andersen, legal spokesperson Kim Andersen says that it's absolutely grotesque that it can happen. It surprises Andersen that the Danish authorities hadn't discovered this and they would like to see an investigation into this issue.
Source: Ekstra Bladet 1, 2 (Dnaish)
Ekstra Bladet have a video interview (in Danish) with Mahmood on their site. They promise to reveal more Danish citizens working in Iraq in the near future.
A point that hasn't been made in this article is that the Kurds came to Denmark as refugees. Even now, Denmark has trouble sending Iraqi refugees back home, since it is considered dangerous. A group of 60-70 Iraqis has been hiding in a church since mid-May, protesting their planned eviction (DA). Having refugees make a living 'back home' makes a mockery of the very idea of seeking asylum. And it comes at the expense of people who actually need a place of refuge.
---------------
Iraqis with Danish citizenship are living a secret double life, where they milk the Danish state for social benefits, while at the same time they earn high salaries as top politicians and other powerful positions in Iraq, reports Ekstra Bladet.
One of those is Balen Abdulla Mahmood (52) from Albertslund (Copenhagen), who for five years has received an early retirement disability pension while at the same time he's been a member of the Kurdish parliament. He's earned a minimum of 384.000 kroner plus many fringe benefits (free residence, pension, three bodyguards and real estate).
Balen Abdulla Mahmood confirms in a taped interview with Ekstra Bladet that he's gotten 5,000,000 Iraqi Lira ( 23,5000 kroner) every month. Other sources in Iraq say that the salary is ever higher - closer to 30,000 kroner a month, tax free.
As Danish citizens registered as living in Denmark, the Iraqis should pay Danish taxes on salary and fringe benefits in Iraq. But despite the Danish law, they did not inform the municipality of the tax authorities of their extra income, reports Ekstra Bladet.
For this reason they could also have an early retirement disability pension for several years, though they don't have a right to it, since they have too large of an income.
One of the country's leading experts in social fraud, Peter Møller, head of the inspection unit for the Ishøj municipality, has no doubt that the Iraqis broke the law. He says that it's social fraud and it should be stopped. They naturally have a duty to inform both the tax authorities and the municipality where they are registered that they have an income.
Peter Møller has no doubt either that Esktra Bladet's revelation would have consequences. They would be sued to refund the money and he says that if it happened on his turf, he would also report them to the police for fraud.
The Danish ambassador in Iraq, Mikael Winther, will now check how many Danish citizens of Iraqi origin are active in Iraqi politics. He says he knows that there are Danish-Iraqis in both the Kurdish parliament and the Iraqi national parliament, but he doesn't know how many. He will start an investigation into the issue in the fall.
Peter Skaarup, legal spokesperson for the party, says that it's hair-raising that such abuse can happen. He says we must have a throughout investigation into how many Iraqis who live in Denmark hold top positions in Iraq at the same time. There will be consequences to this, he says.
Peter Skaarup says there's not much that can surprised him from the Iraqi's side, but this is just too serious. It make a mockery of the entire Danish social system.
The Liberal Party agrees with the idea. Kim Andersen, legal spokesperson Kim Andersen says that it's absolutely grotesque that it can happen. It surprises Andersen that the Danish authorities hadn't discovered this and they would like to see an investigation into this issue.
Source: Ekstra Bladet 1, 2 (Dnaish)
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