Experts warn citizenship pause could breach rights of 231 children

Denmark could breach international conventions if it continues to suspend citizenship cases involving stateless children born in the country, experts told DR. The children have a right to belong to a country under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In January, 72 stateless children born in Denmark met the requirements for Danish citizenship, according to documents obtained by DR. They were included in a bill that would have granted them citizenship, but the bill fell after the election. Citizenship decisions are now on hold while the government considers whether applicants can be screened for anti-democratic views.

Eva Ersbøll, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, said Denmark must work to prevent statelessness and that cases involving stateless children born in the country cannot be put on hold. She said a lengthy suspension would, in her view, breach the conventions, although a court could ultimately decide the issue.

The UN refugee agency interprets the rules to mean that stateless people should receive citizenship at birth or as soon as possible afterwards. DR’s review of documents from the Ministry of Immigration and Integration found that as many as 231 stateless children born in Denmark could be affected, including many whose cases have not yet been processed.

Jytte Lindgård, chair of the Association of Immigration Law Attorneys, said the children’s rights could be violated under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the human rights convention, depending on how long the pause lasts. She also warned that requiring children who had already qualified under the previous rules to have their cases reassessed under new rules would be highly problematic. Adults face stricter citizenship requirements than children, and some of those affected may reach adulthood while waiting.

The Ministry of Immigration and Integration Minister, Morten Bødskov, declined an interview. The ministry said it is processing some applications from stateless people and people born outside marriage. Parliament has not approved citizenship since June 2025, and is expected to consider screening applicants for anti-democratic views next year at the earliest.

Opposition parties criticised the pause. Alternative’s spokesperson on minority issues, Anna Bjerre, said Denmark was failing to meet its international obligations, while Red-Green Alliance citizenship spokesperson Peder Hvelplund said the children had been left in a legal limbo.

Denmark has faced previous criticism over stateless people’s citizenship applications. From 1991 to 2010, stateless applicants were refused Danish citizenship despite the country’s international obligations. A government commission later found that two officials had committed serious misconduct that could make them accountable.