The Danish government wants to extend the Ukraine special law, while barring Ukrainians from less war-affected parts of Ukraine from obtaining residence permits under it.
DR reports that the plan was announced on August 22, 2026, in a press release from the Ministry of Immigration and Integration. The government intends to prolong the law granting temporary residence to people displaced by the war in Ukraine, but to narrow who qualifies.
According to Immigration and Integration Minister Morten Bødskov of the Social Democrats, Danish municipalities host around 47,600 displaced Ukrainians, and some are under heavy pressure. He states that the rules will be adjusted so that only Ukrainians with the greatest need for protection can obtain residence under the more lenient framework.
The Ministry of Immigration and Integration set out the model in a press release in February 2026. It named regions considered less affected by acts of war, including Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Volyn, Zakarpattia and Zhytomyr, plus the Kyiv region excluding Kyiv city.
The ministry stated in that press release that existing residence permits will not be affected by the tightening. NordiskPost also noted that Ukrainians who already hold permits under the law keep them, and that the change is expected to be tabled in Parliament.
The special law has already been prolonged once at government level. As stated by the ministry in June 2025, Denmark followed the EU temporary protection regime and extended residence permits so that they run until March 2027.
Before the summer holiday, the government submitted a separate bill on the same law. Per Folketinget, bill L 14 would cut off access for Ukrainian men aged 23 to 60 who are covered by Ukraine’s mobilisation rules and not exempt from military service.
Norway and Switzerland cited as precedent
The ministry points to Norway and Switzerland, which have previously introduced similar geographical limitations that reduced the number of applicants. B.T. reports that the ministry explicitly links the Danish move to those restrictions, and that it will be implemented through a coming bill.
Børsen has covered the plan as part of a broader effort to limit inflows and relieve pressure on municipalities. Bødskov says several municipalities struggle to find enough housing and to integrate the large number of Ukrainians.
The proposal is not new to Danish politics. DR notes that the former SVM government, made up of the Social Democrats, Venstre and Moderaterne, presented a similar proposal in the winter, shortly before the election. Bødskov underlines that Denmark stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in its fight for freedom.
