Starting July 1st 2024, Denmark has implemented new rules for residence permits across several categories. Two significant changes affect the Family Reunification process:
- The security deposit required for couples is reduced by half, from the current 114,000 DKK to 57,000 DKK.
- To meet the integration requirements, instead of passing the Danish Test Level 3 (Prøve i Dansk 3), spouses can demonstrate five years of full-time employment involving substantial communication in Danish.
These changes signal a shift in Denmark’s immigration system. After decades of stringent immigration policies, the country appears to be easing restrictions in recognition of the need for more immigrant labour. This shift comes as the population ages and birth rates decline. Notably, in 2023, 9 out of 10 new hires were immigrants, according to the Copenhagen Post.
In light of these changes, Maria Clara Medeiros from the Last Week in Denmark‘s LinkedIn team contacted Liliana Nunez-Andersen, a PhD candidate at the Syddansk Universitet – University of Southern Denmark who has researched the market integration of Latin American women coming to Denmark under the family reunification process.
QUESTION: Liliana, can you share some highlights of your research with us?
Most certainly, Maria Clara, thank you for the opportunity to discuss such an important topic.
As part of my master’s in International Relations, EU and Latin American studies, my research focused much on social sustainability. I chose to explore the labour market inclusion of non-Western women in Denmark, with a special focus on Latin American reunified spouses as a particularly relevant sub-minority. Although the study narrows down to this particular group, the findings can certainly resonate with others in the non-Western community in Denmark, who share similar experiences in their integration journey.
QUESTION:What were the main challenges faced by Latin American women when entering the Danish labour market?
This is a complex question for which I sought answers throughout my studies. Most of the women in my studies are Latin American reunified spouses under Danish Law. Apart from being a complex and onerous process in terms of requirements and fees, the interviewed women identified three main barriers:
1. Some constraints in the Family Reunification process, especially the prolonged period and the consequent “limbo” situation while they await their residence permit to be granted, given they are not allowed to work or study during this period. Some of these women had to wait up to one year to get their residence cards, which is a very long time for anyone to remain dormant or outside of the system.
2. The limited information and support provided to labour market inclusion as newcomers to Denmark. Due to their self-sufficient status, although the municipalities are obliged to offer support, that is severely limited. However, their experiences reveal significant inconsistency in this regard.
3. The lack of adequate bridging between their previous education and work experience and the offered work options. This is probably the most crucial barrier, and the most difficult to overcome, in my opinion. The education and work experience background these women possess represents an untapped wealth of transferable skills that could potentially be applied to other jobs within proximity to their skills and qualifications.
These women are well-educated, skilled and experienced in a wide range of specialisms; they are multilingual; they are ready and willing to access and contribute to the labour market in Denmark from the moment they come.
QUESTION: Do you believe the proposed changes to the Family Reunification process will be beneficial for these women?
Certainly, the proposed changes to the Family Reunification process are a step in the right direction. The previous fees were exorbitant and created a wedge of inequality among Danes, as not everyone had the financial capacity to afford the fees and the overall expenses associated with the full process of family reunification. The reduced fees make the process far more affordable now.
Regarding the Danish language requirement, it is an important advance. However, this area has room for improvement because the reform does not directly address some underlying issues. Through my research, I interviewed representatives from the Integration department at various municipalities in Denmark, who identified the lack of Danish language skills as the number one barrier to the Danish labour market for the interviewed women. The low proficiency in Danish normally results in access to jobs only in the lower segment of the market, primarily, unskilled jobs. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on providing adequate Danish language education to these women to enhance their readiness to access the labour market but also to secure jobs that are compatible with the skills they bring to the table.
QUESTION: In your opinion, what additional measures are needed to fully integrate these women into Danish society and the labour market?
In my view, the first and foremost urgent area to be addressed is Danish language skills. Early access to Danish lessons is a crucial step forward. For the interviewed women, as well as for most immigrants to Denmark, access to Danish education is beneficial not only linguistically but also socially.
Language centres are often the first point of socialization for newcomers. Being able to congregate with others in similar circumstances while tackling the immense task of learning a new language and culture offers a much better alternative to a long wait in uncertainty, sometimes in isolation or with minimal support. The reality for reunified spouses in Copenhagen or Aarhus can be very different from those in rural areas of North or South Jutland. The interviewed women agree that an early start might give them much-needed focus and a sense of purpose, helping them feel they are moving forward rather than feeling stagnant and unproductive. Allowing these spouses to start their integration journey as soon as they arrive in Denmark could significantly boost their integration and help overcome the language barrier faster.
Equally important is the need to address two further key factors. Firstly, a more standardized approach to information and support from municipalities would be ideal, to avoid inequality. For example, some women did not sign an Integration contract, while others did. Some had meetings at the Jobcentre and had their CVs and academic/professional documentation checked, while others did not. Some were offered help to find jobs, but only unqualified ones. Only one out of 15 women knew about the subsidized internships that some municipalities offer, while the rest were never informed of this possibility.
Lastly, a more adequate bridging between their skills and the job opportunities is much needed. While the interviewed spouses understand they may not immediately enter the labour market in positions equal to those they held in their home countries, they feel their transferable skills are not being properly considered. The value of work and education is strongly embedded in their lives, and their motivation to participate actively in the labour market goes beyond monetary compensation. They are willing to adapt and undergo the necessary training to improve their chances of accessing the labour market, but they also want to feel they are given a fair opportunity not just to have a job, but to thrive as active contributors to society.
