The EU Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Framework Regulation (URF) does not apply to Denmark. Similar national provisions apply.

Aliens Act (Consolidated) LBK No 1009 of 02/09/2024 | Bekendtgørelse af udlændingeloven LBK nr 1009 af 02/09/2024

• Section 8 provides the legal basis for the resettlement programme.
• Sub-section 8(1-2) specifies the residence permit granted upon arrival in Denmark under the agreement with UNCHR or similar international agreements related to refugee status.
• Sub-section 8(3) provides for the possibility offering resettlement to persons who would otherwise be eligible to obtain a residence permit in Denmark on the grounds of humanitarian needs.
• Sub-section 8(4) provides for the assessment criteria to potential eligible beneficiaries.
• Section 7(1-3) specifies the actors for determination and number of resettlement quotas.
• Section 10 specifies grounds for exclusion.

Danish Integration Act LBK No 1146 of 22/06/2020 | Integrationsloven  provides for competent authorities for reception and integration of resettled refugees.

Executive Order on Housing Placement of Refugees BEK No 550 of 03/05/2022 | Bekendtgørelse om boligplacering af flygtninge specifies how regional and municipal quotas are determined. 

The national resettlement programme is based on an annual quota decided by the Minister of Immigration and Integration.

The annual quota is determined each year. Over the past years, the quota has been 200 per year. But this number can change each year, depending on what the Minister of Immigration and Integration determines.

Eligibility and referral: UNHCR / Danish Immigration Service

Acceptance of selected refugees: Danish Immigration Service

Pre-departures measures: Danish Immigration Service

Arrival and reception support: Danish Immigration Service, IOM and the municipalities

Identification and referral: The identification and referral of eligible refugees is conducted according to UNHCR guidelines for resettlement. Upon prior agreement with the Danish Immigration Service, UNHCR Regional Offices may submit cases for resettlement directly to the Danish Immigration Service. Following the resumption of the national resettlement programme in 2019, Denmark mainly focuses on resettlement of vulnerable groups, such as women and children at risk. 

No information provision activities are carried out during this stage of the procedure.

Selection: Refugees resettled in Denmark are primarily selected following an in-country selection mission. In preparation for the selection mission, Resettlement Registration Forms (RRFs) should be submitted well in advance of the mission – at least 4 weeks before the departure of a delegation. After an initial screening of the submitted cases, the Danish Immigration Service may inform UNHCR that certain cases cannot be accepted for resettlement and UNHCR will be requested to withdraw those cases.

Cases could also be submitted on a dossier basis and not involve resettlement country selection interviews. Acceptance decisions are based on the documentation submitted by UNHCR.

The Danish Immigration Service is responsible for the organisation of the selection missions for eligible refugees for resettlement. Staff members from the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) participate in the in-country selection missions contributing with background knowledge and information on the selected refugees’ groups and may act on their behalf. When necessary, representatives of security authorities may also participate.

Representatives from the Danish Immigration Service and the Danish Refugee Council conduct the interviews with selected refugees. Usually the interviews are conducted in person, but under exceptional circumstances, they can be conducted remotely via online tools and applications. The Danish Immigration Service, the IOM or UNHCR coordinate all logistical arrangements during the selection mission.. UNCHR also informs refugees about the selection decisions. 

Shortly after the selection mission, the Danish Immigration Service prepares a draft list of provisionally accepted refugees to be admitted to Denmark. 

Assessment: The decision-making body is the Danish Immigration Service. The final decision on whether to offer resettlement or not to a person is made by the Danish Immigration Service upon return from the selection mission.

Refugee status eligibility criteria are the same for asylum seekers as for resettled refugees. The assessment of cases is usually conducted under normal status but there are cases which are handled under priority as urgent or an emergency. 

During the assessment of submissions for resettlement, the authorities examine the foreigner's possibility to grow roots in Denmark and benefit from the residence permit, including language qualifications, education and training, work experience, family situation, network, age and motivation. 

There is no recourse against a negative decision. A rejected case may be resubmitted if new elements and relevant information arise. 

Upon final acceptance, refugee status can be annulled if there are reasons for exclusion, as defined under Section 10 of the Danish Aliens Act. Specifically, if the refugee is considered: a danger to national security or a serious threat to public order safety and health, as well as if a person has committed a crime that will exclude the person from asylum in Denmark or if has provided false information on identity or asylum claim are grounds for exclusion. 

Timeframe: Denmark mainly accepts cases submitted under normal priority. However, depending on the case status which can change from normal to urgent or emergency during the assessment, the Danish Immigration Service may decide to process the case with priority in shorter time.

• Average processing times for normal cases is 6-8 months from submission to final acceptance.
• Average processing times for urgent cases processing is maximum 14 days.
• Average processing times for emergency cases processing is maximum 5 days.
• Average processing time for family reunification cases with a spouse/cohabitating partner and minor children is 7 months from the submission of the application.

Resettled refugees are granted a residence permit, in line with the provisions in Section 8 of the Aliens Act. The residence permit is issued for a maximum of 2 years at a time, after which the Danish Immigration Service will extend the residence permit on its own initiative within the applicable legislation, provided they continue to meet the requirements for legal residence in Denmark.

Before final acceptance of resettlement, the selected refugees undergoes medical and health examinations, security control and pre-departure orientation.

Medical examinations: The IOM performs the medical examinations in-country on behalf of the Danish authorities. Refugees are requested to participate in person in the health examination or to sign a declaration on the conditions for resettlement in Denmark. In emergency or urgent cases and under exceptional circumstances, in-person participation and signature of the declaration may be omitted. Pre-departure medical examinations include also examinations for tuberculosis (TB). Travel arrangements for a refugee with TB may be temporarily delayed to receive treatment and ensure that the person is fit for travel. Medical costs are covered by the Danish authorities. 

Pre-departure orientation: Refugees must participate in the pre-departure orientation. The Danish authorities organise a pre-departure cultural orientation and offer Danish language training programme after the selection mission and before the departure of the selected refugees to Denmark. The pre-departure orientation for adults consists of lessons in the Danish language and Danish culture which are provided over a period of 5-7 days. Similar pre-departure training programmes are also organised for children and teenagers. Representatives of receiving municipalities in Denmark may also participate in the training programme. The regional IOM office coordinates the logistics around the training location and the refugees’ travel and stay during the 5-7 days of training. The training is conducted in English with the support of interpreters who translate into the refugees’ native language.

During this phase, Denmark conducts face-to-face information provision activities and material is developed at the national level. EUAA operational tools for resettlement particularly developed for information provision (e.g. former EU-Frank tools) are not used at this stage.

Information is given during the pre-departure cultural orientation course. Refugees are encouraged to ask any questions they may have about the process and about Denmark. The course also includes information about the forthcoming travel stage.

Travel arrangements: The IOM cooperates with the Danish Immigration Service to provide resettlement assistance to quota refugees selected for resettlement. The assistance includes assistance with visa and travel document arrangements and international and domestic travel arrangements. All relevant travel expenses related to travel to Denmark, including costs for medical escorts, are covered by the Danish authorities. Upon arrival in Denmark, representatives from the IOM, the Danish Immigration Service and the receiving municipality receive the resettled refugees at the airport.

Documentation: All refugees travelling to Denmark under the resettlement programme are issued a laissez-passer by the Danish representation in the country of asylum or by the Danish Immigration Service.

The IOM in Denmark cooperates with the Danish Immigration Service to provide resettlement assistance to quota refugees selected for resettlement in Denmark. The assistance includes amongst others:

• Assistance with visa and travel document arrangements
• Support to selection missions and pre-departure orientation courses (før-afrejse-kursus)
• Health checks of all refugees to be resettled in Denmark
• International and domestic travel arrangements.

Since the relaunch of the Danish resettlement quota with the 2019 resettlement quota, the IOM in Denmark has assisted the Danish Immigration Service with the resettlement of quota refugees from Turkiye, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

Family reunification: The IOM assists migrants who have been granted family reunification to Denmark with travel arrangements and other logistics. The IOM office in Copenhagen provides this service to persons in Denmark who need assistance with family reunification.

No information sessions are organised at this stage, as some information is already provided at the previous stage.

According to the Danish Integration Act, the Ministry of Immigration and Integration has the primary responsibility for the reception and integration of foreign citizens in cooperation with the local receiving municipalities. 

Arrival: Upon arrival in Denmark, representatives of the Danish Immigration Service, the receiving municipalities and the IOM receive the resettled refugees at the airport. The municipality takes over the responsibility of initial intake and accommodation of the resettled refugees. 

Status upon arrival and documentation: Resettled refugees have the same status upon arrival as eligible beneficiaries of a residence permit under refugee status. A residence permit is issued to them, upon arrival in Denmark. They are offered a medical screening and will receive a health insurance card which serves as proof of entitlement to access healthcare. 

Reception: The Danish Integration Act provides that the local municipality carries out the reception and integration of foreign citizens in cooperation with the competent authorities. When a residence permit is granted to a resettled refugee, the Danish Immigration Service decides in which municipality the refugee will reside. The decision must take into account the personal situation and needs of the refugee in question, including medical needs and family relations. The municipality takes over the responsibility immediately after arrival and escorts the resettled refugees to their new home. During the first weeks in Denmark, the municipality is in close contact with the refugees on a daily basis in order to guide and help them to settle in their new home and community. Initial reception of resettled refugees at the municipality is supported by interpreters. 

Rights and entitlements: Refugees resettled to Denmark have rights and entitlements such as housing, access to healthcare, access to education, financial and employment support, as well as language and orientation courses. 

The municipality offers a 1-year mandatory introduction programme on behalf of the government and financial support if the refugees have not found self-support through e.g. employment. The programme can be prolonged up to 5 years and consists of Danish language, training and employment support. Furthermore, social workers from the municipality provide assistance with housing and an individual contract of action for finding employment in Denmark.

Information sessions are directly delivered by the national authorities during face-to-face sessions. 

The Danish Refugee Council, the Danish Red Cross, the United Churches Integration Service and other civil society organisations offer integration activities for newly-arrived refugees, provided by volunteers. Integration activities aim to create dialogue, understanding and tolerance between the refugees and the local community. It is voluntary to participate in these activities.

The  national resettlement programme is based on an annual quota decided by the Minister of Immigration and Integration.

Currently Denmark does not implement humanitarian admission schemes.

Currently Denmark does not implement community sponsorship programmes.

Currently Denmark does not implement community sponsorship programmes.

Currently Denmark does not implement community sponsorship programmes.