The Danish government’s budget proposal for 2013 was presented on August 27.

The Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) believes the government is deliberately neglecting immigration and integration in yesterday’s budget proposal, hoping the public will simply forget the two issues.

The party's political spokesperson, Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, calls for the inclusion of more funding for integration policy in the proposal.

“Of course we will try to impose improvements again this year, including focus on immigrants and integration,” Schmidt-Nielsen told dr.dk.

The government's budget proposal does not present any new initiatives in the field of integration, and that is hardly a coincidence, according to the Red-Green Alliance.

“I think it’s a sign that the government would rather no one noticed the integration area. They’re hoping the issue will just lie down and play dead,” said Schmidt-Nielsen.

More specifically, the Red-Greens propose that the government earmarks money to improve interpretation services, for example for foreigners admitted to Danish hospitals.

“One of the things we prioritise highly in this area is a better quality of interpretation. We notice again and again that there are serious consequences to receiving poor interpreting in the health system, judicial system, social system and the asylum system,” said Schmidt-Nielsen.

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