A new policy for foreigners

The Danish Government wants a new and consistent immigration policy in Denmark – a Denmark for the willing and able.

The Government’s first step is to immediately introduce a bill that is to contribute to making it less economically attractive to seek asylum in Denmark. The Government wishes at the same time to give newly arrived refugees and immigrants a greater incentive to work and become integrated in Danish society.

The Government has therefore concluded an agreement with the Danish People’s Party, Liberal Alliance and the Conservative Party on the introduction of:

• Lower cash benefits: benefits are to be reduced significantly so that the benefits make it less attractive to come to Denmark. For example: singles without children will in future receive almost half the amount of what they receive in cash benefit today. A married couple above the age of 30 with children will in future receive close to 40 per cent less a month in cash benefit. It will still be possible to obtain certain supplementary benefits such as housing subsidies, assistance for high housing expenses etc. In addition, a bonus will be introduced for those who make an effort to become integrated in Danish society by learning Danish
• The reintroduction of qualification rules for claiming child and youth benefit. Refugees will again be subject to the qualification principle implying that only after two years will refugees become entitled to full child and youth benefit and full child allowance. Refugees will, in other words, receive a lower benefit until they have developed a certain attachment to Denmark
• The abolition of favourable qualification rules for claiming state pension. The rules will be tightened so that refugees will receive state pension calculated on the basis of the number of years they have lived in Denmark prior to reaching the state pension age. The full amount of the Danish state pension is only earned after 40 years of residence in Denmark

The Danish Government wants a new and consistent immigration policy in Denmark – a Denmark for the willing and able. The Government’s first step is to immediately introduce a bill that is to contribute to making it less economically attractive to seek asylum in Denmark. The Government wishes at the same time to give newly arrived refugees and immigrants a greater incentive to work and become integrated in Danish society.

The Government has therefore concluded an agreement with the Danish People’s Party, Liberal Alliance and the Conservative Party on the introduction of:

• Lower cash benefits: benefits are to be reduced significantly so that the benefits make it less attractive to come to Denmark. For example: singles without children will in future receive almost half the amount of what they receive in cash benefit today. A married couple above the age of 30 with children will in future receive close to 40 per cent less a month in cash benefit. It will still be possible to obtain certain supplementary benefits such as housing subsidies, assistance for high housing expenses etc. In addition, a bonus will be introduced for those who make an effort to become integrated in Danish society by learning Danish
• The reintroduction of qualification rules for claiming child and youth benefit. Refugees will again be subject to the qualification principle implying that only after two years will refugees become entitled to full child and youth benefit and full child allowance. Refugees will, in other words, receive a lower benefit until they have developed a certain attachment to Denmark
• The abolition of favourable qualification rules for claiming state pension. The rules will be tightened so that refugees will receive state pension calculated on the basis of the number of years they have lived in Denmark prior to reaching the state pension age. The full amount of the Danish state pension is only earned after 40 years of residence in Denmark.