Living in Denmark

last update: January 2012

Once you have applied for asylum in Denmark you are accommodated in an Asylum Camp somewhere in the country. Here you get food and pocket money while your case is treated. The standard of living in Asylum Camps differ from camp to camp and asylum seekers live in either apartments, shared or single rooms. You are not allowed to work while seeking asylum. Getting a job outside the formal labour market is possible but the informal labour market is limited and precarious.

Access to basic education and health care is limited. Some language tuition is accessible at the camp, but only as long as your case is treated. Children are enrolled in school or kindergarden at the camp or in the local community.

As an asylum seeker you are obliged to carry an identity card and stay, where the Migration Service decides while your case is treated.  Life as an asylum seeker in Denmark is often centered around the camp and access to society is depended on social relations outside the camp. Most of the asylum camps are run by Red Cross and are often placed in the countryside.
 
People living underground depend on migrant communities and social networks. For  undocumented migrants there is no access to education and only access to immediate healthcare. Police controls occur and are very random.