Denmark's Citizenship Trends towards 'Menapt' Nations: More or Less?
Loosening the Knot: Danish Citizenship and the 'Menapt' Question
Kick back, bother
Denmark tightened its citizenship rules a few years back, along with a hike in application fees. But does this stricter regime have an impact on people from the 'Menapt' countries – primarily Muslim regions – becoming naturalised Danes?
Take a Gander
In 2020, the Danish government started classifying immigrants and their descendants from 24 predominantly Muslim countries, such as Syria, Iran, and Pakistan, under the term 'Menapt.'
This term has since become commonplace in political chit-chat, particularly when discussing immigration and citizenship. The far-right party, Nye Borgerlige, called for individuals from these countries to face easier rejection when applying for citizenship in 2021, although this idea did not advance.
The Rub
Changes in 2021 introduced "Danish values" questions to the citizenship test. Morten Dahlin, then-Liberal party spokesperson for citizenship, vocalized controversial sentiments, stating, "If you don't want to go over that bridge, which consists of things like the Constitution taking precedence over the Quran, and women being able to choose their own partners, then Denmark isn't the place to make your home country."
The Struggle for Scrutiny
Recent data reveals an unchanged approval rate of citizenships for individuals from English-speaking countries since 2021, when new laws took effect. Intriguingly, the UK has even seen an increase in citizens becoming Danish. This increase could be connected to Brexit, as Denmark offers EU citizenship to those affected.
However, data regarding 'Menapt' countries like Syria, Pakistan, and Iran are less clear-cut. While 2016 and 2020 saw peaks in new citizenships for some countries, there's no clear trend suggesting stricter reforms had a significant impact.
Throwing Numbers Around
The term 'Menapt' covers the following countries: Syria, Kuwait, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Qatar, Sudan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Jordan, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Iran, Yemen, Mauritania, Oman, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey.
Data indicates an all-over dip in citizenships awarded from 2020 to 2024 as compared to the previous five years. The pattern is consistent, though 2016 remains an outlier, potentially linked to the nine-year wait for newly immigrated individuals.
Syria and Pakistan present unique circumstances: Syrians saw their highest number of new Danish citizens in 2024, while Pakistan has seen steadily increasing numbers since 2020.
Despite the stricter reforms, it seems challenging to argue that they've led to a decline in awarded citizenships. Rather, individual countries' circumstances appear to drive fluctuations year by year.
Additional Snippets
Data shows Denmark is systematically rejecting applicants from Muslim-majority countries, in violation of human rights principles and constitutional non-discrimination clauses. The government's shifting policies and stricter language requirements, combined with long residency periods and subjective "Danish values" assessments, create insurmountable hurdles for applicants from the 'Menapt' countries. This makes Denmark less appealing to international workers, particularly from the MENAPT region.
- Despite the stricter citizenship reforms, the approval rate for citizenships among individuals from 'Menapt' countries like Syria, Pakistan, and Iran seems unchanged, with no clear trend suggesting they have had a significant impact.
- The term 'Menapt' encompasses countries such as Syria, Kuwait, Libya, and Pakistan, among others, which are primarily Muslim regions.
- In political discourse, the term 'Menapt' is often used when discussing immigration and citizenship, particularly in relation to the Danish government's policies.
- The stricter citizenship rules, including increased application fees and the introduction of "Danish values" questions, have become a point of contention, with critics alleging they discriminate against immigrants from 'Menapt' countries.
- The recent data reveals an overall decline in citizenships awarded from 2020 to 2024, compared to the previous five years, albeit 2016 remains an outlier.
- The ongoing rejection of applicants from Muslim-majority countries, as suggested by the data, may be a concern for those who argue that Denmark is violating human rights principles and constitutional non-discrimination clauses.
