What are the chances of being granted asylum?

The success rate (recognition rate) from Immigration Service (first instance) has moved up and down a lot over the years. In 2015 it reached a record high of 85%, in 2020 it dropped to 44%, and in 2021 it was 59%. Often, the Danish rate in total is higher than the EU average, which is mainly due to very few unfounded applicants arriving here.

In 2025, the recognition rate in total was 38%. For the largest nationalities: Afghanistan: 91%, Eritrea: 96%, Iran: 33%.

However, the number includes people who already had a residence permit on other grounds. Eritreans who came via family reunification and Afghan women will almost certainly be granted asylum if they apply, and it gives them a number of advantages. They are called 'remote registrations' and usually form around 15-30% of the applicants every year. If those are left out, the recognition rate goes down.

'Remote registrations' have formed a large part of asylum applications in recent years in Denmark: 2018: 30%. 2019: 35%. 2020: 26%. 2021: 25%. 2022: 7%. 2023: 24%. 2024: 16%. 2025: 17%

During 2023, 72% of the applicants were granted asylum. Nearly all of the Afghans who were evacuated and later applied for asylum that year were granted it. This groups affected the total percentage of recognition in first instance significantly.

Every year, around 40 refugees have their permits revoked for different reasons.

RESIDENCE PERMITS GRANTED TO REFUGEES 2008-2025 (incl. humanitarian permits, UN resettlement and remote registrations)

If the Danish Immigration Service (first instance) has rejected a case, the Refugee Appeals Board (second and final instance) may overturn the decision and grant asylum after all. This happens usually in around 20-30% of the cases, but the Syrian cases of revoking made the curve rise dramatically. Numbers from the two bodies cannot be added together, as not all cases go to the Refugee Appeals Board and the year of decision is often not the same. 

The numbers reflect more than anything else where the applicants are coming from. Almost everybody from Syria and Eritrea have been granted asylum all over Europe over the last 10 years, and very few applicants from safe countries come to Denmark in general. For that reason, the recognition rate in Denmark sometimes seems high compared to EU on average. However, in the EU (third quarter 2025), 49% received refugee status, 21% subsidiary protection and 30% humanitarian status. Humanitarian status is hardly ever used in Denmark. 

RECOGNITION AND OVERTURNING RATES IN DENMARK 2001-2025

After 2016 it became harder for individual Iraqis, Iranians, Afghans and Somalis to obtain asylum. The same tendency could be seen all over Europe, but Denmark judged these nationalities even harder than EU on average, see further down this page. In 2021, only 3% of Afghans and 19% of Iranians were granted asylum in Denmark. After Taliban seized power, the rate for Afghans has risen to over 90%, but most of the Afghan applicants in Denmark were evacuated and thus have a high risk profile. Denmark has decided to grant asylum to all women and girls from Afghanistan, which will obviously make the rate stay high.

RECOGNITION RATE FIRST INSTANCE 2013-2023, MAIN NATIONALITIES

As you can see from the figures below, there has been a clear difference between Denmark's assessments and those of other EU countries. In general, Denmark has granted fewer permissions but out of the positive decisions, more have been given convention status. Read more about status further down in the article.

These numbers are from Eurostat and do not match exactly with Danish national numbers due to different criteria.

See also: 'Asylum decisions are influenced by politics' (from 2017)

RECOGNITION RATES IN DENMARK AND EU 2020

Main nationalities

ASYLUM DECISIONS 2015 + 2018, largest nationalities, certain countries

The pie charts to the left show that Denmark has changed its view on the situation in Syria. The two rows on the right show that Denmark and Germany strongly disagreed on how dangerous the situation was for three of the major refugee groups. The fact that more Eritreans were rejected in Germany might be due to these being first instance decisions. Germany does not return Eritreans.

The chance of getting permission for family reunification afterwards is also depending on which country you come from, though refugees do not have to meet all the criteria. Their obstacles are mainly due to the demands on documents and proofs, which can be hard for many refugees to present. The percentage of positive decisions varied a lot in 2018, depending on country: Eritrea 36%, Somalia 37%, Syria 54%, Iran 73%, Thailand 82%.

Which status do you get?

Since 2015, there has been 3 different asylum statuses in Denmark: Art. 7(1), convention status, refers directly to the UN Refugee Convention. Art. 7(2), individual protection status, refers to the other human rights conventions and the ban against torture. And finally art. 7(3), temporary protection against general risk. Resettlement refugees, humanitarian permits and family reunified fall under other articles of the Danish alien act. Ukrainians are under a Special Act and not included here.

When the weaker status 7(3) was introduced, it was given to around one third of all refugees – to Syrians without an individual asylum motive. It does not give access to family reunification for the first two years, and can be revoked more easily. Proportionally, more women, elderly and unaccompanied minors have been given this status.

All three statuses are, however, temporary, only given for 1-2 years at a time and can be revoked again if conditions in the home country improve. Convention status is more difficult to revoke, as this requires a stable improvement.