Illegal immigrants flocking to Denmark

More than twice as many as there were in 2008

Dec 9, 2014

Tens of thousands of immigrants are living and working illegally in Denmark, according to new analysis from the independent Rockwool Foundation Research Unit.

The analysis found there were about 33,000 illegal immigrants in Denmark in 2013 – more than twice as many as 2008.

”The Scandinavian welfare society is known to be regulated and organised – its citizens through their CPR numbers are granted the right to a number of benefits,” Torben Tranæs, the research head behind the analysis, told Jyllands-Posten newspaper.

”So it's an awkward situation when there is such a big group of people who don't have any rights whatsoever – or duties.”

READ MORE: Eritrea asylum report criticised and country's representative warns of punishment

Russia and Pakistan top
The analysis (here in Danish) found that most of the people charged with being an illegal immigrant are from Russia (7.7 percent), followed by Pakistan (7.5), Kosovo (6.3), Philippines (5.2), Vietnam (4), Thailand (3.5), India (3.3), Iran (3.3), Albania (3.2), Iraq (3.1) and Algeria (3).

When it comes to the number of people who are caught working illegally in Denmark, Nigeria and China come top. The two countries accounted for about 30 percent of the total numbers of people caught working illegally in 2013.

The analysis also found that 80 percent of the illegal immigrants caught in Denmark are men, an increase of 13 percent since 2007, while the average age of the illegal immigrants was 32.

Becoming a stranger in your own country

Many stories are heard about internationals moving to Denmark for the first time. They face hardships when finding a job, a place to live, or a sense of belonging. But what about Danes coming back home? Holding Danish citizenship doesn’t mean your path home will be smoother. To shed light on what returning Danes are facing, Michael Bach Petersen, Secretary General of Danes Worldwide, unpacks the reality behind moving back
EU Foreign Ministers meet in Denmark to strategize a forced Russia-Ukraine peace deal

Foreign ministers from 11 European countries convened on the Danish island of Bornholm on April 28-29 to discuss Nordic-Baltic security, enhanced Russian sanctions, and a way forward for the fraught peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow
How small cubes spark great green opportunities: a Chinese engineer’s entrepreneurial journey in Denmark

Hao Yin, CEO of a high-tech start-up TEGnology, shares how he transformed a niche patent into marketable products as an engineer-turned-businessman, after navigating early setbacks. “We can’t just wait for ‘groundbreaking innovations’ and risk missing the market window,” he says. “The key is maximising the potential of existing technologies in the right contexts.”
Gangs of Copenhagen

While Copenhagen is rated one of the safest cities in the world year after year, it is no stranger to organized crime, which often springs from highly professional syndicates operating from the shadows of the capital. These are the most important criminal groups active in the city
“The Danish underworld is now more tied to Scandinavia”

Carsten Norton is the author of several books about crime and gangs in Denmark, a journalist, and a crime specialist for Danish media such as TV 2 and Ekstra Bladet.
Right wing parties want nuclear power in Denmark

For 40 years, there has been a ban on nuclear power in Denmark. This may change after all right-wing parties in the Danish Parliament have expressed a desire to remove the ban.

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Career

Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

With half of its staff being international, the BioInnovation Institute reflects Denmark’s broader transformation into a global innovation hub. But can the country—and Europe—keep up the pace? “If reforms are made now, we can close the gap in ten years,” explains BII’s CEO
International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

Many internationals come to Denmark to work as designers, but the field appears to be one of the hardest to break into. The Copenhagen Post spoke with two internationals struggling to find their way into the industry.
This rural town in Denmark has a 17 percent international workforce — Here’s how

With a low unemployment rate and aging population, the municipality is actively recruiting workers from abroad to fill essential roles and support long-term growth

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Jobs

Business analyst- Scoutz