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Danish government upping language requirements for citizenship applicants
Lucie Rychla
September 3rd, 2015
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Senior researcher from the Institute for Human Rights believes it will present a hurdle many foreigners won’t be able to overcome
Foreigners seeking Danish citizenship will have to pass a new advanced level Danish language test, reports DR.
The new Venstre-government proposes that foreigners should pass the so-called Prøve i Dansk 3 test, a more advanced version of the currently required Prøve i Dansk 2.
Obtaining citizenship made impossible
Eva Ersbøll, a senior researcher in Danish citizenship at the Institute for Human Rights, argues the new requirements are too high and impossible to reach for many people interested in obtaining Danish citizenship.
“Once again Denmark will be one of the countries in Western Europe where it is hardest to get citizenship,” Ersbøll told DR.
Test in nuanced language skills
According to Poul Neergaard, the head of the Copenhagen Language Center, the Prøve i Dansk 3 test is aimed at highly-educated people seeking jobs that require fluent language skills, such as nurses.
To pass the test, students have to be able to communicate effortlessly at an advanced level of Danish, both in writing and speaking.
“Especially for the people who come to Denmark with low or no education, it is already a difficult task to pass the Dansk Prøve 2 test, and reaching the level of Dansk Prøve 3 would be quite impossible for them,” Neergaard told DR.
Difficult for the low-educated and the elderly
Ersbøll believes the new requirements will affect not only the low-educated, but also the elderly and other disadvantaged applicants.
While older applicants may find it difficult to learn new words and different grammar, people with mental impairments may not have the energy for intensive language training.
“They will be barred from obtaining citizenship in Denmark for reasons they cannot be blamed for,” Ersbøll noted.
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