In return for staying at a Danish refugee center, Iranian software engineer Sarah Alimalayeri said she was happy to hand over the gold bracelet and necklace she was wearing, but not her pendant.

"You can't take everything, but this is a balance," she said.

The 24-year-old migrant is an unlikely supporter of a controversial bill due to be discussed in the Danish Parliament on Wednesday, which would allow police to seize migrants' valuables to pay for their stay in asylum centers if it is passed later this month.