Denmark’s asylum approvals plummeted to historic lows in 2024, with just 860 individuals granted protection, marking only the second time in over 40 years that approvals dipped below 1,000.
This continues a downward trend from 1,403 in 2022 and 1,343 in 2023, a stark contrast to the 2015 immigration crisis when over 10,000 asylum seekers were accepted.
Last year, 2,300 people applied for asylum, mostly from Syria and Afghanistan. Immigration Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek credited Denmark’s strict immigration policies for the decline. “Keeping asylum numbers low is essential for social cohesion and integration,” he stated. “I’m convinced our firm policies are the reason for this decline.”
The statistics exclude Ukrainian refugees, who benefit from a special law allowing them to work and study in Denmark. Around 40,000 Ukrainians have sought refuge, though 11,000 have since left.
Denmark’s opt-out from the EU’s immigration policies, secured in the 1993 Maastricht Treaty, continues to shape its independent approach to asylum and migration.
