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Danish parliament rejects campaign to soften residence bill

Denmark’s political parties rejected Thursday an amendment to a bill further tightening rules on permanent residency, despite a prolonged campaign by lobbyists.

Danish parliament rejects campaign to soften residence bill
People queue outside the Danish parliament at Christiansborg on 'Citizen Day', April 23rd 2017. Photo: Michael Bothager/Scanpix

With the unpopular bill L154 now passed, waiting times for foreigners in Denmark to apply for permanent residency now increase to eight years.

A previous extension to the minimum period before becoming eligible for residency from five to six years was passed as recently as 2016, meaning Denmark was already one of the strictest countries in Europe on the issue.

The new law also changes to require residency hopefuls work 3.5 out of four years prior to application for residency – a tightening on the previous requirement of 2.5 out of the last three years.

Danish legislative process requires all new bills to be read three times in parliament before they can be passed.

Previous amendments, including provisions for training and education amongst newcomers; and a key amendment requesting that the eight-year requirement only be applied to residence applicants who arrive after the new law comes into effect, were rejected at Tuesday’s second hearing.

A final amendment, asking for bill L154 to apply only to those who entered Denmark after January 1st 2016, was put forward by four of Denmark’s five opposition parties for the final hearing.

But Thursday’s vote saw the Social Democrats, the largest opposition party and the only one not to put forth the final amendment, vote against the amendment as it had done at the previous hearing.

This means the bill will now be passed in its original form.

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Naqeeb Khan, executive member of lobby group Danish Green Card Association, which campaigned against the bill from its inception in August 2016, told The Local that he was disappointed in the lack of support for the amendments.

“Firstly, we are extremely thankful to Josephine Fock of the Alternative party, the Social Liberal [Radikale Venstre] Sofie Carsten Nielsen, Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen of the Red-Green Alliance [Enhedslisten] and Holger K. Nielsen from the Socialist People’s Party for proposing the amendments.

“We are extremely disappointed with the Social Democrats, who we feel have betrayed the red block and the whole immigrant community. They cheer for the [US] Democrats who fight for undocumented immigrants while ignoring the existing legal highly qualified immigrants in Denmark,” Khan said.

Khan has previously spoken out against the bill, criticising it for disrupting lives and deterring valuable skilled workers from entering the Danish job market.

Last month, hundreds of expats gathered outside Copenhagen's parliament to demonstrate against the proposed curbs.

“We have democratically and peacefully protested against this bill for seven months. We met MPs, demonstrated in front of parliament, wrote articles, conducted seminars around Denmark and over 40 organisations wrote to parliament but none of our legal, justifiable and human rights were protected. We actually did this for Denmark because we believe that expats are part of Denmark's future,” he added.

The Local has contacted the Social Democrats for comment.

For members

RESIDENCY PERMITS

How to move to Denmark as a citizen of an EU country

EU citizens have the right to live and work in Denmark under EU free movement, but certain bureaucratic steps are required.

How to move to Denmark as a citizen of an EU country

There are several different ways in which a foreign citizen can be granted residency in Denmark.

The broad categories are residency covered by the EU’s rules on freedom of movement; residency permits for people from third countries working or studying in Denmark or for family reunification; and asylum granted to people fleeing from war or persecution.

This article is specifically focused on the rules for EU citizens and is a broad introduction to the rules and process – we cannot make any guarantees about the outcome of applications and you should contact the relevant authorities if you have questions specific to your individual case.

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Generally, all EU nationals who exercise their EU free movement rights to move to Denmark are required to obtain an EU registration certificate (EU-registreringsbevis).

It’s worth keeping in mind that EU (or EEA, or Swiss) citizens can stay in Denmark for up to three months without the registration certificate, or for six months if applying for work. The three or six months begin from the date of entry into the country.

Citizens of Nordic countries (Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) are not required to obtain a registration certificate.

It’s worth keeping in mind that free movement rules mean you can begin working or studying from your first day in the country, while you are waiting for the registration to be processed.

Why do I need to register in Denmark?

Generally, then, EU nationals staying in Denmark for three months or longer must apply for an EU residence document (EU-registreringsbevis in Danish), sometimes referred to as a registration certificate.

As a citizen of an EU member state, you have the right to live, work or study in Denmark and do not need the document for this. However, the document is proof that you meet the grounds for residence under EU rules.

As such, it is an important piece of because you need it to be added to Denmark’s civil registry to get CPR number, the equivalent of a social security number which allows you to register an address, use the public health system, open a bank account and more.

In order to be eligible for the EU residency document, you must fulfil one of a list of criteria: you must be in employment for at least 10-12 hours a week; run or be about to establish a business; be a registered student; have sufficient personal wealth to be able to provide for yourself; or be a family member or dependent of an EU or EEA citizen living in Denmark.

People who fall into the latter category can live in Denmark under EU rules even if they themselves are not EU citizens. 

To apply for the registration document, you must submit an application with the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI). The agency has branch offices in seven locations across Denmark: Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sønderborg and Bornholm. 

How do I do this?

You can apply online but, if you are applying for the first time, must also attend an in-person appointment at one of SIRI’s offices.

If you prefer, you can also fill out a printable form and bring it with you to your appointment at SIRI.

Both the online application portal and printable forms can be found here, and the same page has a link through which you can book an appointment at the SIRI office of your choosing.

You will need to provide relevant documentation: both personal identification and documentation for your residence in Denmark, for example an employment agreement or university enrolment. It may be possible to submit these online if you choose the online application.

There is no fee for the application and the processing time is up to 30 days, according to SIRI’s website. This is extended to up to 90 days if you are a family member of an EU national who lives in Denmark.

Once you have received your EU registration certificate, you can apply for a personal registration (CPR) number and accompanying yellow health service card at an International Citizen Service (ICS) centre. As mentioned above, the CPR number is key to accessing Danish social and health services as well as for private matters like Danish bank accounts and phone contracts.

There are ICS centres in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg, Esbjerg and Sønderborg.

After five years’ uninterrupted, legal residence in Denmark under free movement, you become eligible for permanent residency.

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