Minister asks board to consider excluding foreign workers from fish scheme

Margit Stórá, the minister for social and housing affairs, will ask the ALS board to consider removing foreign workers with temporary residence and work permits from the fish-processing scheme, KVF reported.

Stórá made the announcement in parliament on Wednesday during a session of oral questions. Ruth Vang, an MP for Framsókn, had asked whether the minister would curb the growth in foreign labour brought in to receive unemployment support through the scheme.

The scheme has cost about 687 million kroner over the 33 years since ALS was established in 1992. The number of foreign participants, defined as people who are not Danish citizens, has quadrupled in the past decade.

ALS paid 16.8 million kroner in unemployment benefits to fish-processing workers last year, covering 132,950 hours, equivalent to 75 full-time jobs.

In its 2025 management report, ALS said the scheme was a challenge because it distorts the labour market. The organisation said it would be better for people without work at fish factories to work for other employers that need staff.