Denmark passes special law for Ukrainian refugees
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Loading... - Freja Jensen
- 17 Mar 2022
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The new law was passed after the completion of an expedited process in parliament on Thursday evening, after some sticking points between parties over its financing.
The special “Ukrainian law” eases the process for Ukrainians compared to the normal asylum system, and is designed to enable them to start work and school as soon as possible after coming to Denmark.
It allows for a two-year residence permit with the option of a one-year extension.
One party – the Independent Greens – opposed the law, while three – the Alternative and far-right Nye Borgerlige and Danish People’s Party – abstained.
A number of amendments to the law were proposed during the expedited parliamentary procedure, but the bill was passed in its original form.
Left wing and centre-left parties, normally allied with the minority Social Democratic government, voted in favour of the law despite reservations about the foreign development aid budget being used to finance it.
The special law will cost 2.2 billion kroner in 2022 with over 2 billion of that taken from Denmark’s foreign development aid budget.
“We have had low asylum numbers for many years. That has meant that very little money from the Danish development framework has been spent on taking in refugees,” immigration minister Mattias Tesfaye said in parliament.
“We are now in a different situation,” he said.
The Conservative Party tabled an amendment that would have separated rules under the law, differentiating between Ukrainian nationals and refugees who have applied for asylum in Ukraine. The amendment was not adopted but the Conservatives voted for the bill anyway.
The law came into effect on Thursday, meaning Ukrainians can now apply for residence in Denmark under its terms.
The first residency permits under the law could be issued this weekend.
Ukrainian refugees in Denmark can apply for residence 'from this week'
Expedited parliamentary procedure of a special law which will provide for Ukrainians to apply for residence in Denmark is expected to take three days this week. The process of passing new laws normally takes weeks or months.
The rapid adoption of the new law is expected this week after a bill was tabled in order to provide for thousands of Ukrainian refugees who are expected to arrive in Denmark following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which began late last month.
The special law while mean Ukrainians are likely to be able to avoid extended stays in asylum centres and will give them opportunity to start schools or jobs in Denmark as quickly as possible.
Municipalities will be asked to take in Ukrainians within days after their residence applications are approved.
If the refugees are yet to find a place to live in Denmark, they can apply for accommodation at an asylum centre but without applying for asylum. Any place of accommodation should be as close as possible to job opportunities or any network they might already have in Denmark.
A parliamentary majority for the special law is already in place and it is expected to be voted through on Wednesday.
Municipalities across Denmark currently have capacity for 20,000 refugees from Ukraine, but the Danish Immigration Service (Udlændingestyrelsen) has said it expects a higher number.
According to the text of the bill, the cost of taking in 20,000 refugees is expected to be 2.2 billion kroner net in 2022 and 2023.
Most of this money will be spent by the Ministry of Immigration and Integration on “operation and adaptation of accommodation, activities and Danish lessons, results-based subsidies, basic subsidies, self-sufficiency payments and repatriation payments”.
“Developments [in Ukraine, ed.] indicate there could be a substantially higher number (of refugees),” accompanying notes to the bill state.
“The actual calculated additional costs will depend on factors including the number and configuration of displaced persons who are given residence status under the proposed provisions,” it states.
1,085 people have so far applied for asylum in Denmark since the invasion began, according to a latest count, updated on Friday. More may have arrived in Denmark without having informed authorities.
Companies will be offered a “turbo-assessment” of the qualifications of Ukrainian refugees under the bill, which could enable skilled persons to use their qualifications in Denmark without the usual long wait for authorisation.
“We must give Ukrainian refugees a very warm welcome. In addition to safety and security, we must provide the chance to get an everyday life going again,” Minister for Education and Research Jesper Petersen said in a press statement.
Authority assessments of qualification equivalency can give access to both education programmes and jobs. Read More...
