Derrick
03-11-05, 10:40
Government to demand employment for citizenship
03.11.2005
The government would demand that foreigners have worked in Denmark before they can apply for citizenship
Unemployed foreigners can bid farewell to their hopes of becoming Danish citizens, after an Integration Ministry memo added a new prerequisite to the list of demands for aspiring citizens.
In addition to language, culture, and history tests, applicants will also need to have worked for four out of the last five years, according to the memo. The demand is one of several proposals made by the government to tighten citizenship laws, daily newspaper Information reports.
The reason for the restrictions is that the government is concerned that new citizens will receive more in state assistance than they contribute to state coffers.
The government and support party Danish People's Party, therefore, would 'ensure that people who are granted citizenship have the ability to provide for themselves', according to the Integration Ministry.
While the ministry predicts that the rule change would mean that up to 30 percent of applicants would be disqualified, the People's Party put the number significantly higher. They say tightening citizenship rules would mean that more than half of the 10,000 foreigners expected to be granted citizenship this year would be disqualified.
'Of course, we're happy about that,' said People's Party citizenship issues spokesman Søren Krarup.
Opposition parties expressed their confusion about the motivation behind the proposal.
'I just can't understand what the government and the People's Party are afraid of,' said Social Liberal citizenship spokesman Simon-Emil Amitzbøll. 'We're talking about people who have already been granted residence permits and who live here. Why shouldn't they be given a passport and the right to vote?'
'It seems like the People's Party is afraid that the new citizens won't vote for them,' Amitzbøll said to Information.
03.11.2005
The government would demand that foreigners have worked in Denmark before they can apply for citizenship
Unemployed foreigners can bid farewell to their hopes of becoming Danish citizens, after an Integration Ministry memo added a new prerequisite to the list of demands for aspiring citizens.
In addition to language, culture, and history tests, applicants will also need to have worked for four out of the last five years, according to the memo. The demand is one of several proposals made by the government to tighten citizenship laws, daily newspaper Information reports.
The reason for the restrictions is that the government is concerned that new citizens will receive more in state assistance than they contribute to state coffers.
The government and support party Danish People's Party, therefore, would 'ensure that people who are granted citizenship have the ability to provide for themselves', according to the Integration Ministry.
While the ministry predicts that the rule change would mean that up to 30 percent of applicants would be disqualified, the People's Party put the number significantly higher. They say tightening citizenship rules would mean that more than half of the 10,000 foreigners expected to be granted citizenship this year would be disqualified.
'Of course, we're happy about that,' said People's Party citizenship issues spokesman Søren Krarup.
Opposition parties expressed their confusion about the motivation behind the proposal.
'I just can't understand what the government and the People's Party are afraid of,' said Social Liberal citizenship spokesman Simon-Emil Amitzbøll. 'We're talking about people who have already been granted residence permits and who live here. Why shouldn't they be given a passport and the right to vote?'
'It seems like the People's Party is afraid that the new citizens won't vote for them,' Amitzbøll said to Information.