The Danish Immigration Service

The Immigration Service administers the Danish Aliens Act, that is, it processes applications for asylum, family reunification, visas, residence and work permits, etc. In addition, the Immigration Service is engaged in a wide range of other duties relating to the asylum and immigration area, including the task of accommodating asylum seekers.

Most rulings made by the Immigration Service can be appealed to either the Refugee Appeals Board (asylum applications) or to the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs (all other applications).

The organisation

The Immigration Service is divided into two centres: the Asylum and Family Reunification Centre and the Work and Visit Centre.

The Asylum and Family Reunification Centre is responsible for:

• Determining whether Denmark or another country (typically another EU country) should process an application for asylum (Dublin cases)
• Processing applications for asylum
• Processing application for family reunification
• Relocating refugees to municipalities
• Coordinating international commitments and projects

The Work and Visit Centre is responsible for:

• Processing applications for residence and work permits for employees
• Processing applications for residence and work permits for students
• Processing applications for residence permits for au pairs
• Processing applications for residence permits for interns and trainees
• Processing applications for visas

Furthermore, the Immigration Service is responsible for:

• Running accomodation centres for refugees and asylum seekers
• Supporting asylum seekers
• Statistics on immigration and asylum
• Administration and communication

See the organisation of the Immigration Service.

Who makes the decisions?

The highest-ranking authority in the Immigration Service is Director General Henrik Grunnet, who makes all executive decisions in collaboration with the Deputy Director General and the two Centre Directors.

Director General
Mr. Henrik Grunnet

Deputy Director General
Mr. Poul Mose Hansen

Centre Directors:
Ms. Anni Fode (Asylum and Family Reunification Centre)
Ms. Inge Bruhn Thomsen (Work and Visit Centre)

> See photos of the directors