What do we do?

In 2007, we started out as a small group of volunteers in an unheated room in Christianshavn. Today, we are a strong and well-organised team of advisors who provide daily assistance via email and telephone, chat as well as in person. We provide guidance on every aspect of asylum and immigration law, and act as pro bono lawyers for applications and complaints when necessary. We often use our extensive experience with individual cases to challenge wider concerns and have succeeded in changing official practice in a number of areas. Over the years, we have had many cases reopened and overturned, and we have won 3 complaints before different UN Human Rights Committees. Read more under ‘Advice’, where you can also find useful information for asylum seekers in 10 different languages, our guide to family reunification, and our Q&A in English. 

Another important part of our work is to provide easily accessible information, both to refugees living in Denmark and to Danes who generally do not know a great deal about the subject. Refugee issues are complex, and the Danish language is another challenge, also for foreign journalists and researchers, which is why we also publish everything in English. Our close contact with refugees throughout all aspects of the asylum process means that we always have our finger on the pulse and can describe current issues in our articles as well as keep our fact sheets up to date. Read more under ‘Information’, where you can also find five reports on key issues. Our Head of Organisation, Michala Clante Bendixen, gives regular talks – you can book her here. 

The final part of our work is to provide a vital voice for refugee rights in the public debate in Denmark and abroad. Our advocacy is always firmly rooted in international law. We are proud that many of our members and volunteers have refugee backgrounds themselves. We write responses to proposed legislation in the areas of asylum and immigration, and we participate regularly in the public debate, including writing articles and opinion pieces. We also report regularly to international committees on violations of refugee rights in Denmark. Read more under ‘Advocacy’ 

We have been known as Refugees Welcome for many years but are not affiliated with any other organisation in Europe that uses the same name. We are a member of PICUM (Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants) and the Women's Council in Denmark. We have also been appointed to the Council for Human Rights in Denmark. 

See our Articles of Association here (in Danish)

See our annual financial report for 2024 here (in Danish)

Read about how we treat personal data here (in Danish)