Dual Nationality - the final curtain?
Members may recall from previous articles in News & Reviews that, after a considerable amount of activity by the political parties and interested groups around this matter over the last couple of years, further progress hinged on the outcome of an inquiry being held by the Ministry for Integration.
On 11 February 2010, Birthe Roenn Hornbech, Minister for Integration, made a statement on the Government's position on Dual Nationality as a result of that inquiry. This was to confirm that the Government does not intend to make any changes to its established policy on the matter. In her statement the Minister emphatically said that her Government does not wish to allow Dual Nationality, pointing out that this was entirely consistent with its long held views on the subject.
After the Minister made this statement an attempt was made by MPs from the Radical and Liberal Alliance Parties to engage her on the point that her own inquiry acknowledges, that it could not find any substantial reasons against allowing dual nationality - as is allowed in 22 out of 27 EU countries. The Minister also acknowledged during the meeting that, according to the Ministry's own figures, more than 40% of foreigners living in Denmark, who become naturalised Danes, actually possess dual nationality. As a consequence, in this respect, Danish nationals living abroad who wish to achieve dual nationality are placed at a disadvantage compared with foreign nationals residing in Denmark. Despite these arguments, along with others resulting from the ensuing debate, the Minister remained emphatic that neither she nor her Government were for turning...
Annette de la Cour
