Asylum center in Denmark faces business backlash due to low wage labor disclosures

Title: Asylum Seekers at Danish Detention Center Earn Low Wages for Work, Prompting Partnership Exits

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A bombshell report from Danish newspaper, Dagbladet Information, exposed how detained asylum seekers at the Ellebæk Departure Center asylum facility work for paltry wages, primarily to afford contact with their families via the center's payphones. This revelation has led to two companies, Stelton and San Pellegrino (Nestlé), withdrawing from partnerships with the Danish prison service, Kriminalforsorgen, at the Ellebæk facility.

In light of the report, companies pay a fee per order based on what they'd typically pay for equivalent work in Denmark. However, detainees receive just six kroner per hour (approximately $0.84 USD) due to the wage structure being tied to the pay rate for work in ordinary Danish prisons. Furthermore, persons slated for deportation are obligated to contribute half their wages toward their own deportation costs. Despite the meager pay, detainees rely on these earnings to maintain connections outside of the facility.

Ellebæk, a detention center for individuals without legal residence in Denmark, houses residents who are apprehended based on immigration laws, not for committing crimes. Previously, the facility faced criticism over inadequate living conditions. In 2020, the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture issued a scathing report on the conditions at Ellebæk, while The Local reported an incident in 2021 where an international student was incarcerated there after overstaying her visa.

Following the publication of Dagbladet Information's report, both Danish design company Stelton and Italian water brand San Pellegrino, owned by multinational corporation Nestlé, severed ties with Ellebæk. Jens Beyer, director of Premium Acqua (San Pellegrino's Danish distributor), expressed regret with the cooperation and stated that they were previously unaware of the working conditions at the center. A Stelton subcontractor had an agreement with Kriminalforsorgen to assemble thermos flask components using detainee labor.

Michael Ring, Stelton's chairman of the board, was taken aback by the report and pledged to cease the practice immediately. Kriminalforsorgen has promised to supply more detailed information to detainees about the work scheme and may offer limited internet and phone access for free calls to minimize criticism.

The confluence of low-paid labor and restrictions on internet and mobile phone usage has drawn sharp criticism from both domestic and international experts.

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The broader context of this situation includes recent European Commission initiatives to update return legislation and combat human trafficking, though these efforts do not specifically address working conditions or labor practices within detention centers.

[1] Official Ellebæk Centre for Foreigners expands outdoor space for detained foreign nationals (January 2025)

[2] European Commission targets updates to return legislation (November 2024)

[3] European anti-trafficking efforts focus on detention center visits (April 2024)

The low wages earned by asylum seekers at the Ellebæk Departure Center for work with companies like Stelton and San Pellegrino (Nestlé) have sparked criticism and led to the companies withdrawing from their partnerships.
The general news and health-and-wellness sectors have expressed concerns about the confluence of low-paid labor and restrictions on internet and mobile phone usage at the Ellebæk facility.
Politics and art-related discussions may delve into recent European Commission initiatives to update return legislation and combat human trafficking, but these efforts do not specifically address working conditions or labor practices within detention centers.