When migrants or refugees arrive in Denmark, authorities seek to get them into employment as soon as possible, with little focus on matching skills with job type. Consequently, the skills and education that these new arrivals bring with them from home are often overlooked, and the Danish system has very limited options for upgrading qualifications earned abroad. 

An analysis produced by the 3F union found that in Denmark there are 45 000 migrant residents who have completed at least three years of university study or another type of higher education. Half of these residents are employed in jobs that require no education. Further, among individuals from Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Nepal, only 10% are employed in jobs for which an education is a prerequisite.

Paradoxically, businesses in Denmark are currently experiencing a shortage of employees, particularly those with special competencies. As  result, the Danish Parliament is considering new rules which would make it easier to hire people from outside Europe. At the moment implementation of these rules is being delayed because nationalist parties oppose inviting workers from predominantly Muslim countries.

A representative of the New Dane Association - previously described as a good practice on EWSI - said: "If you wish to use your educational background, you are very much left on your own. And even if you have your education officially approved in Denmark, you are still worse off than native Danes. You lack network and knowledge about the labour market that you want to enter". Further, she says, employers represent another barrier in that they are reluctant to hire people from other countries as they do not know exactly what their training and qualifications include, especially if they have been issued in Arabic.