Published 02-05-2017 - Last updated: 23-11-2017

Entry ban for certain religious preachers – a new national sanction list

The Danish Immigration Service has published a list with a number of foreign religious preachers who are exempt from entering Denmark and other Schengen-area countries.

By law no 1743 of 27 December 2016 a public national sanction list has been established. The list includes names, nationalities and other information about foreign religious preachers who are banned from entering in consideration to the public order in Denmark. The law is a result of a political agreement of 31 May 2016, which the government then made with a number of parties about initiatives relating to religious preachers, who seek to undermine Danish laws and values, and support a parallel conception of the law.

The Immigration Service has on the ground of the law decided to give an entry ban to 6 religious preachers. They are placed on the new national sanction list with named foreign religious preachers who are exempt from entering in consideration to the public order.

The list is managed by the Immigration Service who assesses, through investigations in public available sources, which foreign nationals that meet the requirements for being placed on the list. The list is continuously updated and can be seen here.

Who can be placed on the national sanction list?

A foreign national can be placed on the national sanction list if the foreign national in his/her capacity as a religious preacher, has displayed behaviour that gives reason to believe that the foreign national could pose a threat to the public order in Denmark. In addition there must be a reasonable likelihood that the individual will enter Denmark.

Foreign nationals who hold a Danish residence permit or who are subject to the EU regulations cannot be placed on the national sanction list.

Consequences for religious preachers on the national sanction list

Foreign religious preachers on the sanction list get an entry ban to Denmark and normally also the other Schengen-area countries.

The entry ban is given for a period of 2 years and the Immigration Service will assess whether there is reason to extend the entry ban when it is about to expire.

If new information is submitted during the period, the Immigration Service will by itself reassess if the foreign national should continue to be placed on the list.

Religious preachers on the list can request the Immigration Service to reconsider the decision about the placement on the list and to get the specific premises for the decision. If the Immigration Service decides that the foreign national should remain on the list, the decision can be appealed to the Immigration Appeals Board.

If the entry ban is not obeyed, the religious preacher can be expelled and be punished for violating the entry ban. The foreign national can also be rejected at the border.

Background

31 May 2016 the parties The Liberal Party of Denmark, the Social Democrats, the Danish People’s Party and the Conservative People’s Party made a political agreement about initiatives relating to religious preachers (because of the documentary “Moskeerne bag sløret”).

See the political agreement of 31 May 2016 (in Danish)

The bill executes the part of the agreement concerning the establishment of a national sanction list with entry ban for named religious preachers.

Bill (L 48) as passed

Bill as proposed

Further information

Further information is available through press officer Frederik Marker Hansen at mobile +45 91 36 57 90 or press co-ordinator Nils Bak at mobile +45 41 30 66 80.