Danish government seeks to make it tougher to become a citizen

If it is “something special to be a Danish citizen”, why does it take so long?

The Danish government wants to make it even harder to become a citizen.

A new package is on the table designed to tighten the requirements needing to be met before citizenship is granted.

“It is something special to be a Danish citizen,” said Immigration and Integration minister Inger Støjberg.

“The government only wants to grant citizenship to the foreigners who have been here for many years and who have clearly shown that they both can and will respect Danish society and our Danish values.”

The new rules tighten both financial and legal requirements.

“If someone has committed a serious crime in Denmark, they of course should not become a Danish citizen,” said Støjberg.

Raise your right hand
The new laws will require potential citizens to be more self-sufficient and not have been on any public assistance for at least two years. Having been on the dagpenge unemployment insurance benefit will also hamper an applicant’s chances of acceptance.

Another suggestion on the table is that the applicant must participate in a citizenship ceremony and sign a statement saying that they will uphold the Danish constitution.

Patience required
Along with jumping through an ever-changing array of hoops, it also requires a great deal of patience to become a Danish citizen, as the average processing time has risen markedly in the past few years.

It took 440 days or 15 months in 2016 to process a citizenship request. In 2017, that number jumped to 520 days or 17 months. This year, the average processing time has risen to 640 days or 21 months.

Senior researcher Eva Ersbøll from the human rights department Institut for Menneskerettigheder called the development “troubling” and estimated that the processing time will soon be more than two years. 

“It is a very long process,” she told DR Nyheder. “It is never good to have to wait so long.

Ersbøll said many people are unable to apply for a job or even leave the country for personal or professional reasons while they are waiting.

Parliamentary disagreement
Dansk Folkeparti spokesperson Christian Langballe said that his party was not overly concerned with the long waiting time and believes that it is more important that cases are processed “correctly” than quickly.

Astrid Krag from Socialdemokratiet thinks it is wrong that people have to wait so long.

“People who apply for citizenship have typically spent many years meeting the demands we make, so it is not reasonable that it takes two years longer,” she said. “I think an explanation is required.”

Read More: If they don’t like my rules, let them eat cake, says Danish integration minister

The Immigration and Integration Ministry has said that as of 2016 there were 13,000 applications for citizenship. Currently, there are still 10,000 applications still awaiting an answer.

Venstre spokesperson Jan E. Jørgensen said that means that only the very oldest cases have been processed, but he believes that the process will speed up in the “foreseeable future”.

Jørgensen said he felt that seven to eight months was a reasonable time to process an application for citizenship in Denmark.

TOP STORIES

  • Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    After more than a decade living in Denmark, Russell shares why she made the move, how she’s coping, what she already misses, and the exciting new projects she’s working on. “It’s been a very tough decision. I love Denmark, and it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says.

  • Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    The new Gefion AI supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest and will accelerate research and provide new opportunities in Danish academia and industry.

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.

Connect club

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

Sign up here

Career

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs