When assessing the topic of access to (extraterritorial) asylum in the European context, Denmark holds a certain “separate status”. Denmark joined the EU in 1973 after careful consideration and took a carefully balanced approach to European integration. The country’s position is characterized by a “soft” form of Euroscepticism, with the decision to “opt in” where it is considered to be of benefit. Although Denmark is not part of the eurozone, it has negotiated several other “opt-outs”, including (most of) the EU’s common rules on asylum and immigration. This means that they are not formally bound to obtaining EU asylum, which gives them their unique status as EU member states.
Since 1.2 million people, mostly from Syria, sought asylum in the European Union in 2015, the Danish government, with broad parliamentary consent, has implemented laws and policies that further restrict asylum protection. The main objective was, and remains, to make Denmark less attractive to asylum seekers. Currently, residence permits are granted temporarily, with the aim of returning refugees to their country of origin as soon as possible, rather than integration or long-term residence, a self-evident so-called “paradigm shift”. Moreover, the Danish government is very forthright and even takes “pride” in conveying the message that it pursues a very strict (territorial) asylum policy.
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About the project
This report is part of the project.In search of control: An international comparative study of (extraterritorial) access to asylum and humanitarian protection.‘. The objective of this comparative research project, led by the Clingendael Institute, is to capture existing knowledge about the asylum systems of Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States, and complement this with analysis of national laws and policies. did. , and implementation practices focused on access to (extraterritorial) asylum. Although there is some overlap, the research project’s asylum and refugee protection systems each operate in very different geographical and political contexts. Find reports from other countries here.