Denmark’s parliament has decided to scale back its citizenship ceremonies for the coming year, citing administrative constraints related to the country’s upcoming presidency of the European Union.  

The decision has drawn criticism, particularly from Radikale Venstre politician Emil Moselund, who argues that the move is part of a broader pattern of restrictive citizenship policies.  

The Ministry of Immigration and Integration, however, maintains that the decision is purely logistical. 

Citizenship ceremonies and the new restrictions 

The decision was made in early February and concerns the legislation by which Denmark grants citizenship.  

Under Danish law, only parliament can confer citizenship, which is done through the passage of two bills each year, listing the names of approved applicants.  

Due to the government’s increased workload during the EU presidency from summer 2025 to the end of the year, only one such bill will be introduced instead of the usual two.  

As a result, some applicants will experience delays. 

Criticism from Radikale Venstre 

Emil Moselund, a politician from Radikale Venstre, recently voiced his concerns in an opinion piece for The Copenhagen Post.

He believes the reduction of ceremonies is not merely an administrative issue but part of a wider trend of making it increasingly difficult for immigrants to integrate fully into Danish society.  

“There’s a lot of people who put work into it (citizenship) and would like to see the fruits of their labor, and this is being taken away from them,” he said in a call. 

The ceremonies themselves are more than just formalities, Moselund explained. Since a 2018 legal change, applicants must physically attend a ceremony where they shake hands with a local mayor.  

Without this final step, even applicants who have met all other requirements cannot receive Danish citizenship.  

“If you don’t turn up for the ceremony, and if the ceremony is not held, then you cannot become a citizen, even though your process is done and all official papers are in order,” he explained. 

For many applicants, the delays add to an already lengthy and complex process. According to Moselund, the administrative backlog means that applicants often wait years for a response.  

“I know one woman who had been waiting 21 years for national citizenship despite having a Danish husband and full-grown children,” Moselund remembered. 

He also sees the decision in the context of broader political developments, claiming that Denmark’s approach to integration has become increasingly restrictive.  

“If you look at how the system has evolved over time, Danish democracy has become even more anti-integration, even more anti-’getting people to have national citizenship’,” he stated, adding 

“It’s only me and my party who have spoken about this.” 

A decision of logistics 

The Ministry of Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek explains: 

“In the government and my ministry, we will be allocating many resources to the Danish EU presidency, and we are therefore generally trying to prioritize resources in the coming period. Citizenship bills typically require a very large amount of resources within the ministry. Therefore, we have chosen to propose one bill instead of two in the upcoming parliamentary session.”  
 
This will affect the timeline for some applicants.  

For example, those who were set to receive citizenship in the autumn will face delays until after the new year, while others, who would have been included in a spring bill, will now receive their citizenship earlier than usual.  

While frustrating, from the perspective of a public institution, this is a minor change and any fundamental changes would require constitutional amendments, something that is not a simple process in the Danish legislature. 
 
“I fully understand that this causes inconvenience for those who must wait for their citizenship. However, it is important to emphasize that everyone who meets the requirements will still receive their Danish citizenship. Some will be included in a bill presented earlier than usual, while others may experience a delay of up to a few months,” the minister concludes.