(May 19, 2021) On April 20, 2021, the Danish Parliament’s Social Democratic Party, Liberal Party, Conservative Party, and Liberal Alliance announced that they had entered into a political agreement (politisk aftale) concerning the conditions for acquiring Danish citizenship through naturalization.
In accordance with the political agreement, no foreign citizen previously sentenced to imprisonment for a crime may become a citizen of Denmark through naturalization. In addition, the new rules would limit the right of Nordic citizens 18 to 23 years old who attained their citizenship through naturalization to become Danish citizens through a declaratory process. The proposal also acknowledges the special status of persons with Danish heritage living in Southern Schleswig (in Danish, Sydslesvig), Germany. Under the agreement, Danish speakers from this area would still be able to apply for Danish citizenship, and the area that is recognized for purposes of Danish heritage would be expanded to include the entire Kiel municipality. All applicants for citizenship would also be required to support themselves financially. Thus, persons who had received certain types of public assistance for more than a four-month period within the last five years would not be eligible for naturalization.
In accordance with article 44 of the Danish Constitution, Parliament adopts a special piece of legislation twice a year that names each person who has been granted naturalization. One such bill (L227) is currently pending before Parliament. Comments on the bill are due by May 18, 2021, ahead of a planned June conferment of citizenship. According to the political agreement, the new rules will not affect the possibility of becoming a citizen in June 2021, except that no person who has served or is serving a prison sentence will be allowed to become a citizen.
Currently, Danish law requires that persons seeking to become naturalized complete a citizenship examination, which tests the applicants’ knowledge of both the Danish language and Danish history and culture. The agreement would amend the questions on the Danish culture test to include five additional questions on Danish values, including freedom of religion and gender equality.
On May 4, 2021, a bill reflecting one of the issues of the political agreement—the loss of citizenship for certain gang-related crimes—was presented to Parliament. Before the bill can be adopted, it must first undergo several legislative steps, including committee work, debate and discussions, and three readings. If passed, the bill will enter into force on July 1, 2021.
On May 6, 2021, the Ministry of Immigration and Integration Affairs issued an Executive Circular Letter on Naturalization (Cirkulæreskrivelse om naturalisatio (CIS nr 9298 af 06/05/2021)) outlining the conditions for receiving Danish citizenship through naturalization with reference to the multiparty immigration agreement. Accordingly, it specifically stipulates that a person who has been sentenced to prison for a crime cannot become a Danish citizen. Among other things, the circular letter also limits persons convicted of narcotic crimes from being naturalized within three years of the conviction, whereas certain crimes against children where the sentence was monetary or day fines (dagbøder, monetary fines based on the income of the convicted) would prevent a person from naturalizing for eight years from the date of the conviction. The circular letter entered into force on May 10, 2021, and must be applied to all applications for citizenship in Denmark that are not already part of a naturalization bill pending before Parliament.