Mattias Tesfaye
Mattias Tesfaye (born 31 March 1981 in Aarhus) is a Danish politician, who has served as Minister of Justice since 2022. He has been Minister for Immigration and Integration from 2019 to 2022, and a member of the Folketing since the 2015 Danish general election as a member of the Social Democrats.
Mattias Tesfaye | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Justice | |
| Assumed office 2 May 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Mette Frederiksen |
| Preceded by | Nick Hækkerup |
| Minister for Immigration and Integration | |
| In office 27 June 2019 – 2 May 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Mette Frederiksen |
| Preceded by | Inger Støjberg |
| Succeeded by | Kaare Dybvad |
| Member of the Folketing | |
| Assumed office 18 June 2015 | |
| Constituency | Greater Copenhagen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 March 1981 Aarhus, Denmark |
| Political party | Social Democrats (2013-present) Socialist People's (2008-2013) Red–Green Alliance (2005-2008) Communist/Marxist-Leninist (1995-2005) |
| Spouse(s) | Signe Hagel Andersen |
Background
He was born in Aarhus in 1981 to Tesfaye Momo (an Ethiopian refugee[1]) and Jytte Svensson, and is currently married to Signe Hagel Andersen. The couple has two children.[2]
Political career
Before he joined the Social Democrats in 2015 Tesfaye was a prominent member and former vice chairman of the Socialist People's Party. He has also previously been a member of both the Red–Green Alliance and the now defunct Communist Party of Denmark/Marxist–Leninists.[3] He was elected member of Folketinget for the Social Democrats in 2015.
Tesfayer was appointed Minister for Immigration and Integration in the Frederiksen Cabinet on 27 June 2019.[2][4] Under his leadership, Denmark’s government approached countries both in and outside the European Union about a potential asylum deal, including Tunisia and Ethiopia. Denmark also signed a diplomatic agreement with Rwanda on asylum and political matters.[5]
Political positions
On the right for asylum, Tesfaye has a very restrictive position, setting the goal of having "no asylum seekers any more at all".[6] The Social Democrats in Denmark push for stricter immigration laws, and the party talks about certain neighbourhoods as "ghettos" based on set jobless quotas, above-average criminality, lower-than-average levels of education and income, and the presence of people with non-Western backgrounds.[6]
References
- "Why have Danes turned against immigration?". The Economist. 2021-12-18. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
- "Mattias Tesfaye (S)". Ft.dk. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- "Mattias Tesfaye er nu socialdemokrat". information.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 9 July 2019.
- Deleuran Müller, Thea (27 June 2019). "Danmarks nye regering er nu på plads: Se hele Mette Frederiksens ministerhold her". dr.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2 July 2019.
- Nikolaj Skydsgaard and Terje Solsvik (20 April 2022), Denmark in talks with Rwanda on transfer of asylum-seekers Reuters.
- tagesschau.de. "Dänische Regierung verschärft Zuwanderungspolitik". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-03-19.