Mikkel Bjørn initially refused citizenship for a high school student due to his name—now he apologizes.

A student at Middelfart Gymnasium and HF has recently become the unwilling center of a political debate.

Luna Arab, now 18, arrived in Denmark from Syria at the age of five and now hopes to obtain Danish citizenship.

However, Danish People’s Party member Mikkel Bjørn—who is also chairman of the Naturalization Committee—raised doubts about this idea in a question to Immigration and Integration Minister Rasmus Stoklund (Social Democrats). According to him, the issue was solely about her name.

*"Does the minister agree with the questioner that such a name is incompatible with wanting to be Danish, and that the individual in question should move back to their Arabic homeland, where such a name is far more appropriate than here?"*

Mikkel Bjørn has since distanced himself from his own question to the minister. *"I deeply and sincerely regret it,"* he writes on Facebook.

Now, he apologizes for the question, which, according to him, was sent to the minister by mistake.

In a Facebook post, he states among other things:

*"I distance myself from both the tone and the premise of the question."*

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**Shocking and sad**

Betina Axelsen, principal of Middelfart Gymnasium and HF, reports that several colleagues over the past week have expressed concern that something should be done to show support for Luna Arab, who attends the gymnasium.

Mikkel Bjørn’s question to the immigration and integration minister struck several teachers at Middelfart Gymnasium and HF, where Luna Arab is a student, hard.

That’s why several of them turned to principal Betina Axelsen last week.

*"As a private individual, I almost couldn’t believe my own eyes. It seems so far-fetched, and that’s not just my opinion. Several colleagues have contacted me and said they think we should do something,"* says the principal.

Last Friday, the principal pulled Luna Arab aside and informed her about Mikkel Bjørn’s question to the minister.

According to Luna Arab, she felt both sad and shocked when she heard about it.

*"I tried a bit to forget it, because it’s an uncomfortable thought that someone has written something like that about me,"* says Luna Arab.

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**The gymnasium stood by the student**

The entire situation prompted Middelfart Gymnasium and HF to post on Facebook yesterday, where the school fully supported Luna Arab and wrote among other things: *"No young person should experience being reduced to a name in a discussion among adults. No student should fear being sent away from the country where she grew up, went to school, and dreams of pursuing a university education—solely because of her name."*

Luna Arab arrived in Denmark from Syria at the age of five and now hopes to obtain Danish citizenship.

According to principal Betina Axelsen, the gymnasium has a duty to support all its students.

*"Luna is our student, and she’s really standing alone right now. She’s basically just a piece of driftwood in a vast, open sea, bobbing on the surface while others discuss her—not even based on who she is or how she behaves, but solely because of her surname. We wouldn’t let her be alone with that."*

After Mikkel Bjørn’s apology, we at DR have spoken with principal Betina Axelsen again. She says:

*"We take it to our consideration, but have no further comments."*

Luna Arab does not wish to comment on Mikkel Bjørn’s apology.

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