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

Housing
Refugees in need of more comprehensive measures than the “activation” measures described
above – for example disabled persons, victims of torture, etc. – may be offered assistance in the
form of a longer education or vocational programme.
With the aim of ensuring equal distribution of refugees throughout the country, the Integration Act
establishes a quota system, which implies restrictions on the freedom of settlement of refugees
during the initial three-year period (see below).
On the basis of a national quota, all municipalities have to make voluntary agreements regarding
the number of refugees to be received by each of them. If the municipalities are not able to reach
an agreement, the Immigration Service will take over and decide on the number of refugees
allocated to each municipality.
Individual refugees and families are then distributed by the Immigration Service according to the
agreed quotas and conditions in the local areas (local labour market, educational possibilities etc)
and according to the refugees individual circumstances (family ties, the presence of groups of the
same nationality/ethnic group, access to special health treatment etc.).
According to the Integration Act the municipalities have the obligation to provide newly arrived
refugees with permanent housing within three months from their arrival in the municipality. Until
permanent housing is found, the refugee must be provided with temporary accommodation.
Freedom of residence/movement
Freedom of settlement
Refugees must stay in the municipality where they have been allocated by the Immigration
Service. No complaint or appeal can be lodged against the Immigration Service’s decisions.
In principle, refugees must stay in that municipality during the three years of the integration
programme. However, a refugee may leave the municipality where he/she has been allocated
and move to another municipality before the completion of the three years, if that new
municipality accepts to take over the responsibility of completing the integration programme. If
this is done without the consent of the new municipality, the refugee faces sanctions. In such
case, according to the Integration Act, the new municipality may reduce or refuse to pay any
social benefits to that refugee. He/she may also be refused access to the integration programme
run by that municipality.
Freedom of movement inside Denmark
Refugees and other aliens are free to move within Denmark.
Freedom of movement outside Denmark
Refugees are allowed to travel outside Denmark, but not to their country of origin.
Convention refugees are issued with a Convention travel document, while de facto refugees
receive a Danish alien passport. Persons with residence permit on humanitarian grounds or for
exceptional reasons may, under certain conditions and provided that they have a permanent
residence permit – i.e. after at least three years of residence – be granted a Danish alien
passport
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Denmark