Danish administration enlists specialists to devise citizenship examination process
The Danish government has taken a significant step towards ensuring that prospective citizens share the country's democratic values. The Ministry of Immigration and Integration has appointed an expert group to assess the feasibility of a system to screen the personal views of foreigners applying for Danish naturalisation.
The expert group's task is twofold. First, they will identify which parameters should form the basis of an eventual screening process for anti-democratic statements and views. Second, they will consider the values-related aspect of screening. The appointment of this committee or expert panel was confirmed in a statement by the Ministry of Immigration and Integration.
Under the Danish Constitution, citizenship can only be awarded through legislation, which is adopted by parliament twice each year. At citizenship ceremonies, new citizens declare their loyalty to Denmark and must do so when submitting their initial application. The government's aim is to ensure that prospective citizens share Danish democratic values, as stated by Kaare Dybvad Bek, the Minister of Immigration and Integration, who emphasised that foreigners must 'earn the right' to be awarded citizenship by the elected government.
This move by the Immigration Ministry follows parliament's citizenship committee summoning three individuals for interviews over their personal views after their applications had received preliminary approval. The interviews were controversial due to breaking with normal procedure and the Ministry of Justice questioning their permissibility under human rights conventions.
The expert group is expected to deliver its final report to the government in summer 2026, ten months after being appointed. The report will be made public, and its findings could potentially lead to significant changes in the naturalisation process for foreigners.
The Danish government has stressed that citizenship is a 'big vote of confidence' given by Danish society to naturalised Danes. The Ministry of Immigration and Integration believes that it is essential to ensure that this confidence is well-placed, and that new citizens share the democratic values that are fundamental to Danish society.
In summary, the Danish government has taken an important step towards ensuring that prospective citizens share the country's democratic values. By appointing an expert group to assess the feasibility of screening the personal views of foreigners applying for Danish naturalisation, the government aims to maintain the integrity and values of Danish society.
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