Hare Krishna monk sent packing

Police last week arrested a Hare Krishna monk after he had been asking people in Tórshavn for a donation to a religious cause in return for a book.

The man, who goes by the name of Ananda das, is an English national and lives in Hungary. 

He was on a short stopover in the Faroes bound for Norway, where he was due to attend a monastery. 

First-time offence

Ananda das has travelled to many countries in recent years without any complications, and he says he cannot understand why he is being deported. 

He was not aware of any wrongdoing and stopped his activities immediately when the police told him that unauthorised book sales are illegal.

He was put on a plane on Thursday after being handed a fine and a re-entry ban.

A Danish matter

According to the police, when a foreign national breaks the law in the Faroes, it is up to the Danish Immigration Service to decide whether he or she is to be deported and for how long the re-entry ban should be valid.

When asked if this is not a harsh penalty for preaching and selling some books, police inspector Heri Andreassen said that the police’s job is simply to enforce the law and not to make these kinds of judgement.

Translated by prosa.fo