The Danish government says it plans to tighten the country’s citizenship rules. Already, nearly half of candidates have their applications rejected.
Denmark, which already has one of the most restrictive paths to citizenship in Europe, has announced plans for even tougher conditions. Under changes announced Thursday (April 27), applicants for Danish citizenship would have to reside in the country until it was confirmed through an official ceremony that follows formal approval for citizenship – a process that could take up to two years.
"Not everyone can or should have Danish citizenship. It’s a big deal to get one and, when it happens, it means that you want to live in Denmark," said Kaare Dybvad Bek, minister for immigration and integration.
"Until you shake hands at the ceremony, you must live in Denmark," he added. "This is common sense."
Hostile environment
Denmark has been criticized for being hostile towards migrants and for increasingly restrictive policies on immigration and asylum. Rights groups recently slammed the government's decision to declare more areas of Syria as 'safe' to return to as a means of deporting migrants to the war-torn country.
"It is another demonstration of Denmark sinking to the bottom of its refugee rights responsibilities," Nadia Hardman, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, told InfoMigrants in March.
In a bid to reduce asylum seekers arriving in the country, Denmark also wants to work with other EU countries to send people seeking protection to centers outside the bloc while their requests are being processed.
In 2021 the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said she wanted no asylum seekers at all coming to Denmark. The former immigration minister, Mattias Tesfaye, attributed a drop in the number of asylum applications in 2020 to Denmark's strict immigration policy making it a less attractive destination.
Also read: Denmark: Deterrence, isolation dissuade asylum-seekers
Denmark’s tough citizenship conditions
A requirement to shake hands with the mayor in citizenship ceremonies was highly controversial when it was introduced in 2018, as it caused problems for some applicants who, because of their religious beliefs, did not want to be forced to shake hands with people of the opposite sex.
As the law currently stands, after a person has been approved for citizenship, they can live abroad while waiting to take part in the citizenship ceremony.
But the requirements prior to gaining approval from Parliament are generally strict - as well as the shaking hands rule, they include a requirement that candidates have been continuously resident in the country for nine years – or eight years for refugees or stateless people.
Other conditions are that applicants sign a declaration of allegiance to Denmark, are able to support themselves financially and have worked full-time for 3.5 of the past 4 years.
To become a naturalized Dane, candidates also have to pass separate language and citizenship tests. The fee to apply for citizenship in 2023 is 4,000 Danish Krone (about €530). Nearly half of candidates have their applications rejected.
Also read: Austria, Sweden and Denmark push EU to get tougher on migration