In Denmark, the approach to the support of new arrivals fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been very different from the approach to previous refugee arrivals. The Special Act passed by Danish parliament to mirror the EU Temporary Protection Directive can in many ways be said to represent positive discrimination when it comes to those newly arrived from Ukraine, as previously outlined on EWSI. The will to meet this particular group with flexible, fast and efficient integration measures has been very surprising, evoking sharp criticism from NGOs, some left-wing parties and civil society as they ask why other refugee groups have not been met with such a supportive reaction.

Prioritising Ukrainian cases

Despite these questions, the policy of discrimination continues. The latest decision from the Ministry of Integration and Immigration, for example, is to prioritise the cases of those arriving from Ukraine, thereby delaying the processing of all other cases or putting them on hold. Refugees and migrants from other countries have now been pushed further down the processing line and must wait even longer for family reunification, asylum, residence extension or permanent residence. Despite a historically low number of asylum seekers registering requests in recent years, current waiting times are long. Cases concerning permanent residency can take up to ten months, for example, and a complaint over a refusal on family reunification can take up to two years.

To handle the cases of those coming from Ukraine, employees have mainly been moved across from other Immigration Service offices. Others have been brought in from other areas of state administration. Overall, two thirds of relevant processing staff have now been assigned to Ukrainian cases. The extended waiting times for refugees from other countries will have serious consequences: those waiting for an extension, residence card or passport, for example, will not be able to travel abroad while they wait.

As of 9 April, 23 000 applications have been filed by those newly arrived from Ukraine. 5 400 of these have so far resulted in the granting of permits.

The right to work

According to Danish legislation, a person needs a residence permit in order to work. The only exception is asylum seekers with a pending case, who can be granted special permission to work after six months if they meet certain criteria.

Many NGOs in Denmark have argued in vain for years that there is no reason asylum seekers and people awaiting a decision on family reunification should not be allowed to work. Integration would be far more successful if everybody was able to participate in society from the beginning.

On 22 April a new rule came into force for Ukrainians in Denmark, stating that they will be allowed to work even before receiving their residence permit under the Special Act. There remain some practical issues in implementing this rule, though, in that they will need to organise a digital ID and a bank account before an employer can pay out their salary.

Benefits for single parents

Refugees and migrants are not entitled to full social benefits until they have resided legally in Denmark for nine years, and held a full-time job for at least eighteen months. Until then, benefits are very low and difficult to survive on. Single providers are entitled to a bonus, but not if they are married – even if the spouse is still abroad and might be a refugee elsewhere. This leaves some children at risk of poverty, particularly if the other parent is not able to send money.

Many such Ukrainians are married women arriving alone with their children, having left the father behind in Ukraine. Instead of changing the rule for everybody, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party have proposed an addition to the Special Act, to ensure that those newly arrived from Ukraine finding themselves in this situation will be granted extra benefits for single providers even if they are married. Adding this to the Special Act means that the change will not apply to single providers from other countries.