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Focus

Welcome to Kærshovedgård, Denmark

Life inside the deportation camp described by someone who lived there for 18 months

Labelled a ‘criminal foreigner’ – where is the line?

Well-integrated and generally law-abiding refugees are permanently excluded from citizenship, as our four cases show

Back to Syria?

After the fall of Assad, many Syrians in Denmark have shown interest in returning – for a visit or permanently. But this involves many difficult considerations.

New cash benefit reform hits refugees in particular

New rules for benefits will come into effect from July 1, 2025. Despite good intentions to simplify the rules and protect more children from poverty, even more refugees will sink below a subsistence minimum.

When does a child's ties to Denmark trigger a residence permit?

Both children and their parents may have a right to stay in Denmark based on the child’s attachment. And the authorities are increasingly taking this into account, but still not sufficiently.

The history of the first interviews about Danish mentality

Juman is a volunteer lawyer at Refugees Welcome and was the only legal assistant for one of the 3 much discussed interviews with the citizenship committee. Here she describes the process, and some ...

Why Europe should avoid modeling its migration policy on Denmark

"The Danish model" is a dubious success and constitutes a socially harmful paradox that other countries should not be inspired by

Early Retirement Pensions and Lack of Trauma Treatment are Inextricably Linked

If refugees are to participate and succeed in the labour market, early detection of trauma and timely treatment is key

Denmark in breach of convention when refugees are punished for entering on false papers

A conviction for seeking asylum with a false passport can reduce the chance of asylum and permanently exclude the person from Danish citizenship, in violation of the Refugee Convention

Between a rock and a hard place: women's impossible choice between abuse or deportation

The Danish government traps women with derived residency rights in violent relationships in spite of massive documentation and criticism

The new EU pact on migration and asylum: how does it affect Denmark?

Despite the opt-outs, Denmark must adapt to the EU's new pact which contains frightening prospects for asylum seekers in every way

Denmark is failing resettlement refugees

Despite a rising global need and historically low numbers for new arrivals, the Danish state refuses to accept responsibility

Danish authorities separated Misghinna and his family for 8 years

A stubborn legal battle finally paid off after waiting for far too long, and led to a change in practice for all refugee families with children

Stateless quota refugees from Bhutan cannot obtain Danish citizenship

Although they were specially selected as vulnerable illiterates, Denmark maintains them in lifelong statelessness. Read the open letter from 845 resident Bhutanese to the Minister of Integration

Desperate Afghans are asking us for help to get to safety

Two years after the evacuation, many Afghans are in greater danger than ever. We bring here three of the many emails that we have received

Equal treatment discriminates a certain group of women

Blindness to gender aspects keeps women dependent and vulnerable in the asylum system and the integration process

Sweden wants to copy Denmark's asylum policy

After decades with an image as Denmark's opposite pole, Sweden is now taking over the hard line towards refugees

Increasing number of drowned in the Mediterranean show the need for safe passages

While Denmark's government celebrates the low asylum numbers, thousands lose their lives at sea en route to Europe. Unnecessary deaths that could be avoided with access to legal and safe migration

Danish Immigration Service in conflict with human rights conventions

The Paradigm Shift exposes refugees to unnecessary stress, abuses public resources and serves no purpose

Requirements to obtain citizenship are undermining democracy

The road to becoming a Danish citizen have become an unfair obstacle course and particularly excludes refugees from their democratic rights

One year later: How did the evacuated Afghans fare?

Almost one year after their arrival, we take stock and also look at how Afghans were received in other countries

Mini-report on asylum reception in third countries

The Danish government's Rwanda-plans are the opposite of humane and just, such as they claim to be. Efficient and sustainable solutions are well-known, only waiting to be used!

Information to and about refugees from the war in Ukraine

Here are all the facts you are looking for about entering the EU and the Danish special act

Special law for Ukrainians is discriminating and short-sighted

Ukrainians need help urgently, but improvements concerning reception and protection must include all refugees

Evacuated Afghans are giving up on Denmark

Way too long waiting time, confusing rules and uncertain futures are causing many to leave again

Refugee fathers become mentally ill while waiting for family reunion

A new Danish study proves the negative consequences when refugee families are waiting to be reunited

"It makes no sense to place my parents in a departure center!"

Open letter to the Danish Prime Minister from a 20-year old Syrian refugee

Legal experts: Syrian withdrawal cases should be reopened

The newspaper Information has documented that the 100 final rejections from the Refugee Appeals Board are based on a manipulated use of sources – just like the Eritrea report in 2014

Status on Syrian refugees who lost their residence permits in Denmark

So far, a total of 620 refugees and family reunified from Syria lost their permits to stay, and 90 of these had a final decision. Hundreds of cases are still pending.

Elderly refugees are vulnerable and more exposed to poverty

Retired refugees are a growing and overlooked group, and they are significantly worse off than ethnic Danish elders

Refugees need permanent residency. Roll back the Paradigm shift!

The new idea of temporary stay is destructive for refugees themselves as well as for integration

Kærshovedgård makes life as intolerable as it can be in Denmark

What is it like to live in a deportation centre? This is where Syrian refugees will end up if they lose their residence permit in Denmark and do not return to Syria voluntarily

Renowned interpreter for Danish forces in Afghanistan stranded on his way to Denmark

Aman has been on the run from the Taliban since Denmark abandoned him seven years ago; now he is trapped at the EU border

The Danish asylum and integration systems discriminate against women from start to finish

Several ministers for integration have fought against social control of ethnic minority women, but are in fact simultaneously maintaining the oppression these women faced in their countries of origin

Refugees from Eritrea are a fantastic success in the Danish labor market

Employment figures for the refugees who arrived five years ago are both surprising and positive

Refugees become Danes over time, fortunately

DEBATE: Danish parliament misunderstands the concept of refugees when the focus is on temporary stay. This will create serious problems in the future.

Can Denmark return Syrian refugees?

As the first country in Europe, Denmark is now revoking residence permits referring to improved security in Damascus, but this raises serious problems

Ambitious refugees fight in vain for permanent residence

Bhupas from Bhutan and Rahima from Syria have one thing in common: their education plans stand in the way of securing them a future in Denmark

Remarkable succes for refugees on jobs and education

Refugees and their children are in fact doing well in Denmark – migration researcher Hans Lassen has collected the most important facts

Refugees are absolutely necessary for the Danish labour market

A new study shows that the 'paradigm shift' has negative consequences and pushes refugees to work too hard

Many refugees never leave the camps – damaging to both individuals and our economy

Four leading researchers: Asylum camps are breaking people down, and when conditions continue into the integration phase, the damaging effects follow

Jamal might lose his father any time

Jamal is born in Denmark and Danish citizen. But his father can be sent back any day to one of the most dangerous places in the world: Darfur in Sudan.

The massive Danish discrimination

Most Danes do not realize how extensive the negative discrimination of foreigners in Denmark has become. Here is a short overview.

Social Harm in the Danish Asylum System

Researcher: Structural conditions and practices are harming people seeking asylum in Denmark

First impressions of Sandholm

Visit Denmark's reception camp for asylum seekers, seen through the eyes of an American lawyer

Forced to leave his pregnant wife three years ago – was denied family reunification

After escaping forced conscription in Eritrea, Misghinna survived the dangerous journey to Europe. He now speaks Danish and has a job – but without his wife, life is meaningless

More than 4,000 refugees in Denmark do not have free access to education

Legislation is unbalanced and unfair – affecting women in particular

Solution catalogue: Alternatives to flight and deterrence

Lemberg and Bendixen have collected a number of alternatives to the current political stance, which is focusing on deterring refugees and exporting the responsibility for them away from Denmark and Europe.

Interpretation in asylum cases 1:2 / Facts concerning legislation and standards

The National Audit Office has documented that the use of interpretation services by the authorities is haphazard and represents a serious risk for incorrect decision-making – it is far too easy to become an interpreter

Interpretation in asylum cases 2:2/ Practical experience and examples

An interpreter and a case worker share their experience, and a number of examples illustrate the extent of the problem

Refugee-to-refugee: good advice on integration

Five refugees, who have done well for themselves, give their best advice to those who are newly-arrived

Rescued from re-education in Somalia

Samira was held prisoner by her own family and would never have made it back without help from Refugees Welcome

A Childhood in No Man's Land

Hundreds of children spend a large portion of their childhood in Danish asylum centres, and with extremely weak legal rights.

Why am I being punished for taking an education?

Shamis came to Denmark as a child and today, is a model citizen. However, she won’t be entitled to permanent residency until she has lived in the country for 20 years

Denmark tears Eritrean families apart

Immigration Service misinterprets the registration of marriages in Eritrea, and thus separates hundreds of spouses from each other and many children from their parents

Women in an asylum system for men

Neither asylum legislation, procedures or accommodation facilities are designed for women, despite the fact that they make up 30% of all asylum seekers

Asylum assessments are influenced by politics

The assessment of whether or not a person is in danger should be impartial and non-political. However, decisions from our neighbouring countries are highly different and tendentious.

Can you survive on integration benefit?

Many refugees are living on an income that is just half of what researchers estimate to be the minimum required to exist in Denmark. See budgets here.

Long waiting times and impossible demands for family reunification

Refugees who are granted asylum in Denmark are entitled to bring their nearest family members here. However, as our examples show, there are great problems with this procedure.

Questionable test determines the age of refugee minors

An increasing number of age determination tests are being carried out on unaccompanied refugee minors. The test is based on probability but has definitive consequences.

Please don't introduce me as 'refugee'

Abel came to Denmark two years ago, and in spite of his exceptionally high level of activity, he has still not succeeded in finding a job

Sweden has done a u-turn

First, it was passport control, and now they’ve introduced severe rules for asylum and family reunification

European Deterrence Politics and the End of Humanitarianism

The refugee policy of EU has revealed fundamental problems, and the Danish government played an active role in creating them – analysis from one of Denmark's leading researchers

Alone in a strange country – unaccompanied refugee children

An increasing part of the asylum seekers coming to Denmark are "unaccompanied minors". They are under 18 years and arrive without their parents or other guardians

Two months in a tent camp

Rooyeen from Afghanistan lives in tent No A3 in Næstved – and he is just grateful to be alive

Reception system is a barrier for refugees' job access

The great potential that refugees represent can be used much better. Recent research and experts point to the same solutions.

Human trafficker – when humanity becomes criminalized

Approximately 300 Danes are now charged with human trafficking because they offered a lift or provided a meal to one of the many refugees who crossed the Danish border in September 2015

Asylum seekers locked up like criminals

Applying for asylum is a human right, yet the unlucky ones who are rejected are subject to society’s most severe punishment

An asylum system in internal conflict

For 30 years the Danish asylum centres have been stumbling over their own conflicting goals with regards to control and care. The author has a PhD on the subject.

If you still have a sense of humanity…

Omar got asylum with his teenage son, but has to wait 3 years before he can apply to bring the rest of his family out of Syria. 15-20% of Syrian refugees are affected by this law passed recently by the Danish parliament.

21,000 will be affected by lower "integration benefit payments" after July 1st

With the stroke of a pen, 21,000 people will have their incomes – which are already at a minimum – cut in half

‘Where should I get that money from?’

Refugees receiving integration payment will effectively be hindered in reuniting with their families

Great disparity in asylum assessment

Denmark, Sweden and Germany are at odds in terms of how the same asylum case should be assessed

Why don't they just stay in Turkey?

The situation for the many refugees in Turkey is not sustainable, and the Danish government is making things worse

Language school for refugees

Learn more about the three Danish courses and their significance

Afghans and Iraqis are more often rejected in Denmark

The chance of being granted asylum is significantly better in our neighbouring countries for the two nationalities

Comparison between Denmark and our neighbouring countries

Is it a rational choice when so many head for Sweden and Germany instead of Denmark?

New requirements for Danish citizenship

Understand the new rules which will unfortunately exclude many from ever acquring a Danish passport

Refugees contribute with billions to development

Support from refugees residing here are an efficient development aid and an overlooked factor in the public debate

Sweden has earned 900 billion on immigration

Despite the large number of refugees in Sweden, immigration is still an economic surplus for the country

Why border control is now a global game / Ruben Andersson

The attempts to control the migration flows will only move the routes around and not solve the problems

Europea Needs to Let the Migrants In / Philippe Legrain

European top economist says we should welcome refugees and see them as a resource in stead of a threat

Human smugglers are the only hope for refugees

Refugees pay from 35,000 to 110,000 DKK to reach Europe. They often sell all possessions or become indebted to afford the journey.

Afghan interpreter: 'It is not okay that you just abandoned me'

"Since ISAF left Afghanistan, my life has been a living hell,” Afghan interpreter writes in an open letter to the Danish government.

DOCUMENTATION: The Afghan Interpreters

Since the ‘interpreters’ package’ was passed in 2013, only 8 of 151 Afghan interpreters have been granted asylum in Denmark. REFUGEES.DK publishes a complete overview and timeline of the issue, including Rajwa’s case.

European asylum-colonialism? / Martin Lemberg-Pedersen

The EU paid Gaddafi millions of euro to keep refugees away from Europe – and the idea of establishing refugee camps outside of the EU has also been heard before

The road to freedom goes through Hell

In August 2014, Simon and his wife Ghenet put their lives in the hands of human smugglers. Their hope was a free life in Europe. This is his story.