Published 21-12-2023
Changed rules regarding the consequences of travelling to home countries as a refugee
On 7 December 2023 the Danish Parliament passed an amendment to the Aliens Act that can result in revocation of your residence permit if you are a refugee with temporary residence permit in Denmark and you at some point travel to your home country after the new rules comes into effect.
In such cases, the Immigration Service will assume that you no longer risk persecution in your home country. This apply no matter how long you have had a temporary residence permit in Denmark. When we assume, that you no longer risk persecution in your home country, your residence permit may be revoked. Previously we have only assumed that you no longer risk persecution in your home country, if you travel to your home country within 10 years after you got a residence permit as a refugee for the first time. This 10 years limit is cancelled with the new rules.
The new rules come into effect 1 January 2024 and they only apply on travels started after the rules come into effect.
Refugees with permanent residence permit are not affected by the new rules. A permanent residence permit can still only be revoked due to a travel to your home country within 10 years after you got a residence permit as a refugee for the first time. Nor do the new rules affect you if you have a residence permit on other grounds than asylum.
The new rules do not result in any changes to the rules about a travel restriction in convention passports and alien’s passports. If you as a refugee gets a convention or alien’s passport it will still contain a travel restriction preventing you from travelling to your home country. This travel restriction will still be in the passport until you get a permanent residence permit and you have had a residence permit as a refugee in 10 years.
Read more about revocation of residence permits as a refugee
