950803

Denmark allows

Afghans,

Lankans to

seek asylum

COPENHAGEN: Danish Interior Minister Birte Weiss on Wednesday gave permission to 70 Afghans and three Sri Lankans rescued in the Baltic Sea to seek political asylum in Denmark.

The Asian refugees, found drifting in four lifeboats a few kilometres off Rugen island, off the German coast, were picked up by the crew of a Norwegian cargo boat overnight Monday after they sent up distress flares.

The Danish government initially thought Norway should take responsiblity for the refugees, allowing the cargo boat, the Dana Baltica, to dock at the Danish port of Fredericia for humanitarian reasons.

But Norway refused to take in the refugees, and Denmark agreed in the face of ambiguous laws concerning boat people.

The 34 adults, 28 children and 11 infants had each paid a gang 5,000 dollars to human smugglers for passage to Scandinavia.-AFP