Denmark

Social Demographics
Denmark became mainly a transit country for refugees from North Africa and the Middle East. As a country of 5.6 million people, Denmark expected 20,000 asylum seekers in 2015 compared to the almost 200,000 expected by Sweden, with many passing through Denmark bound for the neighboring country.

Government and Politics
The Liberal Party of Denmark, who held just 39 of Parliament's 179 seats, walked a tightrope policy between keeping the anti-immigrant Danish People's Party (DF), on whose support they depended on in parliament, on their side while eliciting the support of the center-left opposition Social Democrats for the government's more EU-friendly policies.

As Denmark was mainly a transit country for refugees, the minority Liberal government hoped to deter more from seeking asylum by taking valuables or cash worth more than 3,000 Danish crowns during border searches. This was compounded by an immigration reform bill, which would give authorities the power to search the clothing and luggage of asylum-seekers with a view to finding assets. Complaining of pandering to the anti-immigrant Danish People's Party, a member of the European Party from this ruling party defected to the left-wing Social-Liberal party in protest on December 20, 2015.