The citizenship spokespersons for Denmark’s four government parties say cases involving individual citizenship applicants should be examined in the Folketing’s naturalisation committee, not in the media.
The call was reported on November 12, 2026 by Ritzau and carried by Kristeligt Dagblad. It comes from the spokespersons for the Social Democrats, SF, the Moderates and the Social Liberals. Magnus Georg Jensen of the Social Liberals spoke on behalf of the four parties.
Jensen said individual cases are being run in the media in a way that makes the process undignified. He added that the cases must be assessed in the naturalisation committee, Indfødsretsudvalget, rather than in public debate. According to the Folketing, Jensen has served as his party’s naturalisation spokesperson since 2026.
The October cases that prompted the call
In October, both the Danish People’s Party and Liberal Alliance went public after reviewing applicants listed in a bill that would grant Danish citizenship to 2,055 people. Liberal Alliance said it had found an applicant who had repeatedly praised Hamas on social media, and wanted her called in for an interview in the committee. The Danish People’s Party wanted a Pakistani man removed from the bill over a 2016 Facebook post that the party said supported an Islamic execution.
Jensen called that method of case handling improper. He said applicants are already being screened for criminal records and other requirements, and that parties can table amendments to remove people who do not meet the loyalty declaration or other conditions. He stressed that it is acceptable for parties to review the applicants themselves.
Ritzau notes that both parties have pointed to a statement by Social Democrat political spokesperson Rasmus Stoklund in the Folketing chamber, that parties could raise the alarm if they knew of someone on the bill with extremist views. Jensen said he does not regard that as an invitation to take the debate into the media.
Screening model still pending
The government is waiting for an expert group examining a screening model that would test citizenship applicants for anti-democratic views. As stated in the Ritzau report, the work was announced as delayed in October, and the recommendations are now expected around the turn of the year. NordiskPost reported on November 2, 2026 that the group’s chair, Henrik Thomassen, expects to finish in mid-March 2027.
The Copenhagen Post reported that the expert group is assessing whether such screening is legally, technically and practically possible. Per Ritzau, the government first said the bill would only be reintroduced once the screening model was ready, but it has now chosen to table the bill first. The previous award of citizenships coincided with the calling of the general election held in March 2026, which is why the bill covering the 2,055 people was postponed. DR reported in October 2026 that those applicants can expect their applications to be processed in the new year.
What this means for internationals applying for Danish citizenship
In Denmark, citizenship is not granted by an agency alone. Twice a year, a bill is tabled in the Folketing listing the people to be naturalised, after an application process that is often long and extensive. Signing a declaration of allegiance and loyalty to Denmark and Danish society is a condition for obtaining citizenship, and the rules on residence and citizenship are handled separately from residence permits.
Because applicants’ names appear in a published bill, political parties can and do review them, and any party can propose an amendment to remove an individual. The government parties now say that scrutiny belongs in Indfødsretsudvalget. What the planned screening for anti-democratic views will contain is not yet known, as the expert group’s recommendations have not been published.
