Number of rejected asylum-seekers earmarked for deportation halved in two years

Halving of cases saving the country millions of kroner, claims immigration and integration minister

May 22, 2023

There are 550 rejected asylum-seekers at Denmark’s departure centres – the lowest in almost 15 years.

The number has fallen drastically from 1,155 at the end of 2020, according to a report from Hjemrejsestyrelsen, the ‘home travel agency’ established in that year to tackle the issue of deportees not leaving the country.

“It is good news that there are far fewer rejected asylum-seekers in ‘deportation positions’ than in the past. It shows we are on the right track with the repatriation work,” said the immigration and integration minister, Kaare Dybvad Bek.

The low number of rejected asylum-seekers for deportation is connected to the lower influx of asylum-seekers to Denmark in recent years. According to the minister, it shows that great efforts to expel rejected asylum-seekers has paid off.

Huge cost to Danish society
“Fortunately, the figures show that things have gone in the right direction in recent years. It is extremely important. Because it costs Danish society millions when rejected asylum-seekers do not respect the decision that they must leave the country,” added Bek.

“Furthermore, it sends a very unfortunate signal to the outside world that rejected asylum-seekers can in practice just stay, even if they do not have legal residence. It is also the best solution for the rejected asylum-seekers that they travel home.”

In 2021, the Danish Return Agency established an outreach unit with the aim of ensuring that foreigners at the country’s departure centres receive support to make a voluntary return home as soon as possible.

According to the ministry, it costs an average sum of 350,000 kroner to return a rejected asylum-seeker who has lived in a departure centre for a year.

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