Why Denmark Has Just Put Funding Behind Contraception in Africa

Asylum applications dropped from 21,000 in 2015 to 5,500 in 2016. That may have to do with the Danish government’s policy to keep asylum seekers’ valuables. Even though the proposal raised a lot of criticism from The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the European Commission, Amnesty International, and many other groups, it was finally approved in January 2016. This year, the Danish government has changed course and is contributing a large amount of funds for family planning in developing countries aiming to control unwanted pregnancies and reduce immigration in Europe.

Ulla Tornaes, The Minister for Development Co-operation said that Denmark will give 91 million DKK ($14 million) to a programme that aims to increase access to contraception and family planning in Africa. It’s an important priority both in terms of foreign and security policy for the Danish government, said the Minister at a conference in London on Tuesday.

Limiting Africa’s population growth will not only reduce unwanted pregnancies but will also reduce immigration in Europe. “If the population growth in Africa continues as now, the African population will double from 1.2 billion people to 2.5 billion people by 2050. Part of the solution to reducing migratory pressures on Europe is to reduce the very high population growth in many African countries,” Tornaes said.