Danish NGO Refugees Welcome published a report entitled They don't know how much stress we have – women in the asylum system and the integration process. It was written by EWSI's Denmark country coordinator, Michala Clante Bendixen, who has many years of experience as a legal counsellor. She said:

"In recent years there has been a lot of focus in Denmark on getting TCN women into employment and on putting a stop to the social control some of them are exposed to. But the role which the Danish state and society plays on both issues has been totally overlooked, as well as the poorer starting point which many women come with. When you treat everyone equally and make the same demands, women have to fight extra hard – they are exposed to structural discrimination and are kept in dependency."

The report looks at women who are:

• asylum seekers;
• recognised refugees;
• family members reunited with refugees;
• displaced from Ukraine;
• undocumented;
• trafficked.

It examines the gendered aspects of:

• the journey to Europe;
• violence, abuse and exploitation;
• the legal processes and criteria for residence;
• health, economy, parenthood, education, and work.

Thousands of women who have claimed asylum in Denmark have not had the same opportunities as their male counterparts or as Danish women and men. In Denmark, adjustments still need to be made to take this into account, through improved understanding of how structural conditions can make it impossible for these women to meet the same requirements as men. The report contains 12 recommendations for the better inclusion of this group of women.

The report describes Denmark's human rights obligations, and the text is supported by relevant figures, statistics, and quotations from a number of relevant professionals and researchers. Importantly, it also shares 19 case studies of migrant women in Denmark who share their fears and the integration challenges they face.