Denmark on Friday unveiled a legal reform aimed at expanding the circumstances in which foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes can be deported, a move Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the government is pursuing by amending legislation rather than waiting for deportation cases to be resolved through courts.
Under the reform, foreigners who have been sentenced to at least one year of unconditional imprisonment for serious crimes would be eligible for deportation, Denmark said, specifying offenses such as aggravated assault and rape. Frederiksen said the measure would apply to foreign nationals convicted of serious offences, but also acknowledged the idea—part of a series of legal changes—could conflict with European human rights conventions.
Immigration and Integration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said the government was acting in response to what he described as a gap between criminal sentences and deportation outcomes. Stoklund said 315 foreign criminals from countries outside the European Union had received sentences of more than a year over the previous five years but were not expelled, and he said “Many of us find that hard to understand,” during a news conference.
Alongside the deportation-focused changes, Denmark said it plans to tighten controls on foreigners without legal residence. The government also said it will introduce an anklet monitor for criminal foreigners, and it outlined additional foreign-policy steps including reopening an embassy in Syria.
Denmark also said it would strengthen cooperation with authorities in Afghanistan as part of its broader efforts. The announcement comes as the European Union, which counts Denmark as a member, has been finalizing an overhaul of its migration system and has been tightening restrictions related to asylum claims.
Frederiksen described the government’s approach as “unconventionally” pursuing deportation eligibility by changing the law, rather than waiting for court rulings on individual deportation cases, according to the announcement.