Copenhagen Police are in the process of moving a group of 11 Iranian hunger-strikers out of the Democracy House in Vesterbro after Copenhagen Council has reported the lie-in to be illegal entry.

The group f 11 Iranians, whose asylum applications have been denied, have been on hunger strike for two weeks to highlight conditions at the Danish asylum centres, where several of them have spent up to eight years.

The group began their hunger strike at the St. Stephen’s Church in Nørrebro, but moved to the Democracy House after St. Stephen’s Parish Council asked them to vacate the church.

Despite having had their asylum requests denied, conditions in Iran are such that Denmark cannot repatriate them to Iran.

Police officers are currently discussing with the group as to what is to happen.

“We have been told by the Council that they are in the building illegally, and we are handling the situation,” says Copenhagen Police Press Coordinator Lars Borg, adding he does not expect any trouble at the site.

“They can’t be put out into the street, so we are trying to find another solution. Perhaps a temporary residence where they can be until the issue of their protest has been solved,” he says, adding that the 11 must leave the building.

“It doesn’t matter where we are, they’ll find an excuse to remove us,” says Amir Hossein-Shahidi Asl, one of the Iranian protesters.

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