The government has agreed to a new citizenship agreement with a majority of Parliament that will make it more difficult to obtain Danish citizenship.
The agreement – which was signed by Dansk Folkeparti, Konservative, Liberal Alliance and Socialdemokraterne – included more stringent language requirements, a new citizenship test and tougher demands regarding self-sufficiency.
“I’m happy the government has succeeded in a historically broad agreement,” said the immigration and integration minister, Inger Støjberg.
“Getting Danish citizenship is something very special, and it’s only fair that we raise the bar for when you can call yourself Danish.”
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Tougher road ahead
Specifically, the language requirements will be increased from the ‘Prøve i Dansk 2’ language test to ‘Prøve i Dansk 3’, although applicants who have been self-sufficient (i.e no benefits) for at least 8.5 out of the past 9 years can settle for the ‘Prøve i Dansk 2’ test.
Moreover, the current citizenship test will be replaced by a new test that includes knowledge of Danish society, culture and history and requires a much higher pass mark.
The test will consist of 40 questions, and at least 32 will need to be answered correctly in order to pass: a 80 percent pass mark. The current citizenship test consists of 32 questions, of which 22 needed to be correctly answered: a 69 percent pass mark.
Applicants must also be able to document they have been self-sufficient for 4.5 out of the past 5 years, and the waiting period for those convicted of a crime will be increased by a further 50 percent.
The agreement also includes tougher demands for medical reports that can be used for dispensation grounds by applicants with psychological issues, such as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
