New Danish government could relax family reunification rules
Denmark’s incoming government could break with years of strict immigration laws by easing family reunification rules.
According to the platform for the new government, which was presented on Wednesday, family reunification rules could be eased.
Rules for family reunification have often been criticised by Denmark’s national media, with a long series of individual cases reported, highlighting the harsh impact of the rules on the lives of individual couples.
Ostensibly intended to restrict immigration from Middle Eastern countries, the rules also frequently impact the ability of non-EU nationals from other parts of the world, and even Danes themselves, to establish a family life in Denmark.
READ ALSO:
- How the dizzying cost of family reunification keeps Danes and foreign partners apart
- EU ruling overturns 138 Danish family reunification rejections
- Danish family reunification rules panned in report as Danes fail language test
Specifically, the new government wants to change language criteria applied in family reunification cases.
It also wants to halve the so-called “bank guarantee” (bankgaranti), a requirement which demands couples deposit a large sum of money with municipalities while the foreign partner is granted residence under family reunification rules.
It is currently unclear how an adjustment of the language rules will take form, with discussions only having a general nature so far.
The Social Democrats, Liberals and Moderates on Wednesday presented their joint platform for going into coalition government together after weeks of talks.
The current family reunification rules have been in place since 2018, when they were passed by the centre-right government led by Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who is now set to return to government as the leader of the Moderate party.
READ ALSO: What are the new family reunification rules for parents of Danish children?
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According to the platform for the new government, which was presented on Wednesday, family reunification rules could be eased.
Rules for family reunification have often been criticised by Denmark’s national media, with a long series of individual cases reported, highlighting the harsh impact of the rules on the lives of individual couples.
Ostensibly intended to restrict immigration from Middle Eastern countries, the rules also frequently impact the ability of non-EU nationals from other parts of the world, and even Danes themselves, to establish a family life in Denmark.
READ ALSO:
- How the dizzying cost of family reunification keeps Danes and foreign partners apart
- EU ruling overturns 138 Danish family reunification rejections
- Danish family reunification rules panned in report as Danes fail language test
Specifically, the new government wants to change language criteria applied in family reunification cases.
It also wants to halve the so-called “bank guarantee” (bankgaranti), a requirement which demands couples deposit a large sum of money with municipalities while the foreign partner is granted residence under family reunification rules.
It is currently unclear how an adjustment of the language rules will take form, with discussions only having a general nature so far.
The Social Democrats, Liberals and Moderates on Wednesday presented their joint platform for going into coalition government together after weeks of talks.
The current family reunification rules have been in place since 2018, when they were passed by the centre-right government led by Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who is now set to return to government as the leader of the Moderate party.
READ ALSO: What are the new family reunification rules for parents of Danish children?
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