Denmark to introduce dual citizenship

The Danish government now has a clear, wide majority for double citizenship, reports Danish media b.dk.

International residents will be able to apply for Danish citizenship without rescinding their rights in their own country, and Danes will be able to keep their Danish citizenship even though they achieve citizenship abroad. Expatriate former Danish citizens will be able to re-apply for their Danish citizenship rights.

»This is an element in being a part of a global society. Today normal people travel abroad, fall in love, make a family, find an exciting job, and find out that they would like to make a future for themselves there. And they can run into problems in getting the same rights as everyone else unless they rescind their Danish citizenship. But now they can keep their link to Denmark,” says Minister of Justice Karen Hækkerup a Social Democrat.

Rules to get Danish citizenship unchanged

The dual citizenship proposal has been pushed by the Social Liberal Party which is now in the governing coalition, but it has now got the two key parties, the Social Democrats, and the centre-right Liberal Party (Venstre) on board. The two left-wing parties, Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten) and the Socialist People’s Party, just as the centrist Liberal Alliance, also support the proposal. The rightist Danish People’s Party is against.

There will be no distinction between EU and non-EU countries. The final legislative proposal is expected to be passed in October.

Access rules to Danish citizenship will not be changed. International applicants will have to live up to exactly the same criteria as before.

Article in Danish media b.dk with more details here.

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