legal and social conditions for asylum seekers and refugees in ...

Work
Asylum seekers are not permitted to take up paid employment.
Activities/training
By agreement between the Danish Red Cross and the Immigration Service, it has been possible
under certain conditions to set up work or school related training programmes with private firms
and educational institutions. All asylum seekers between 17 and 25 years of age are offered at
least ten hours of training each week. This includes classes in Danish, mathematics, English,
history, social science, computer, handicraft, etc. In addition, workshop activities, IT-rooms and
other facilities are available at all accommodation centres.
Language tuition
All adult asylum seekers are offered a minimum of five hours of Danish lessons per week. In
addition volunteers provide mother tongue language lessons in a number of languages.
School attendance
Children of asylum seekers do not have access to the ordinary Danish school system.
Nevertheless, the Red Cross is required to provide education to all minor asylum seekers under
the same conditions as Danish children in terms of classes, number of hours, etc. Teaching is
provided with respect for the educational background of the children. The Danish Red Cross is
currently running 12 schools for refugee children.
Children of asylum seekers who have been in Denmark for more than 12 months are, under
certain conditions, given access to ordinary Danish schools. This is financed by the Danish Red
Cross.
Adult education
Child care
In principle, asylum seekers are not allowed to attend Danish universities or any other ordinary
higher education courses. However, in special circumstances, exemptions to this rule may be
made.
Child care is offered at all Red Cross accommodation and reception centres.
Female asylum seekers
Single female asylum seekers are accommodated in separate sections in both the reception and
the accommodation centres. Several training programmes are offered exclusively to female
asylum seekers.
Unaccompanied minors
Unaccompanied minors are accommodated in one of the three special centres established by the
Red Cross. These centres have facilities adapted to these children and have specialised staff.
Some 20 minors aged 17-18 are accommodated in a special section of the centre
“Magretheholm”, where a pilot project trains them in domestic skills with the aim of subsequently
providing them with accommodation in private “annexes”.
The Red Cross has set up a Guardian Programme, under which unaccompanied minors are
assisted by a specially trained Red Cross staff member. This person must be present at all
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Denmark