Overview

On the 4th of January 2016 Sweden introduced border control between Denmark and Sweden. The same day the Danish government symbolically introduced a temporary border control at the Danish- German border, consisting of ‘random samples’. Many of the new regulations seem to be made to intimidate people to stay away from Denmark.

If you live outside the European Union getting a residence permit in Denmark is not easy. It is possible to obtain residence permit through work and study, but that requires high skills and can be very costly. There is also the possibility of family reunification and residency on the basis of humanitarian reasons (if you are very ill). Apart from this applying for asylum can be the only way of getting residency in Denmark. This overview introduces the current political situation to you who are thinking about applying for asylum or travelling to Denmark.

Immigration policies are, as all over Europe, generally strict and Denmark usually follows developments in other EU and Nordic countries.

Compared to many other European countries the number of migrants seeking asylum in Denmark is fairly small and the standard of living is decent. However the asylum process can be very long and the Danish asylum system is known for letting people live in uncertainty in camps for years. Living in Denmark without papers is of course possible, but it is not easy. The Danish society has a high level of control and in order to get access to social institutions (library, hospital, school etc.) you will be required a personal identification number.

If you have an asylum case, don’t expect that the system will treat your case in a fair way.

The asylum and detention system in Denmark is a big bureaucracy and of high political priority. As a client within the asylum system you are likely to experience that decisions made by the Migration Authorities are random and unjust. If you know that from the beginning and prepare your case well, you will be better off.

No deportations to Syria and Greece

There are currently no deportations to Greece nor Syria. Deportations to Syria have due to the civil war been stopped since March 2012. When writing this, most Syrian refugees coming to Denmark are granted asylum (if they have not applied in another EU country first). Thorough preparation is, however still important.

Hope for asylum to transpeople

For many years Danish authorities have not granted asylum for transpeople who can document percecutions based on gender or sexuality. A November 2012 judgment in a Danish court has opened for the possibility of getting asylum if you have been persecuted becauce of your genderidentity.