To start page

The Immigration Department

The Immigration Department’s tasks consist first and foremost in formulating the overall immigration and integration policies in Denmark together with implementing general guidelines for the treatment of cases in regard to immigration legislation.

Deputy Permanent Secretary: Kim Lunding
Tel: 33 92 33 80
Fax: 33 11 12 39
E-mail: inm@inm.dk

In addition, the department also deals with specific appeals, including appeals regarding visa, residence and work permits together with humanitarian residence permits. The Integration Ministry has also placed a secretariat service at the disposal of the Refugee Board, which is an independent body for the processing of appeals.


The Immigration Department consists of:


Family Reunification Division

Head of Division: Henrik Larsen
Tel: 33 92 33 80
Fax: 33 11 12 39
E-mail: inm@inm.dk

The Family Reunification Division processes appeals of decisions made by the Danish Immigration Service and the National Commissioner of Police.

The Division handles appeals concerning decisions like:

  • Family Reunification
  • Expulsion and refusal of entry
  • Administrative detention of refugees and immigrants

Employment Unit

Senior legal adviser: Susanne Topgaard
Tel: 33 92 33 80
Fax: 33 11 12 39
E-mail: erhvervsenheden@inm.dk or employmentunit@inm.dk

The Employment Unit deals with immigration and residency concerning work and education.

Furthermore, the unit handles the field of interns, trainees and au pairs.

The unit processes appeals concerning:

  • residence permits for work or educational purposes
  • interns, trainees and au pairs

Immigration Law Division

Head of Division: Frederik Gammeltoft
Tel: 33 92 33 80
Fax: 33 11 12 39
E-mail: inm@inm.dk

The Immigration Law Division is responsible for the formulation of general immigration policies together with the preparation of bills in connection with immigration legislation. The work concerns matters like:

The accommodation of asylum seekers, including conditions for unaccompanied under-age asylum seekers

  • Combat of trafficking in foreign women for prostitution
  • Initiatives to combat crime amongst asylum seekers and the illegal employment of foreigners
  • Practical application of expulsion rules
  • Immigration legislation for the Faeroe Islands and Greenland
  • Implementation of the Schengen Agreement


Division for Visa, Repatriation and Humanitarian Cases

Head of Division: Michael Kjærgaard
Tel: 33 92 33 80
Fax: 33 11 12 39
E-mail: inm@inm.dk

The major task of the Division for Visa, Repatriation and Humanitarian Cases is the processing of specific cases. Most of these cases concern matters pertaining to asylum.

The Division considers:

  • Matters concerning unaccompanied under-age asylum seekers
  • Matters concerning barriers to the return of foreigners
  • Appeals of the Immigration Service's decisions to reject asylum applications or to refuse visa applications
  • Appeals of decisions on transfer or retransfer pursuant to the Dublin Convention
  • Applications for residence permits on humanitarian grounds
  • Appeals of rejections from the Immigration Service on applications for residence permits made by displaced persons from Kosovo

In addition, the Division takes up matters concerning the ‘motivation incentive schemes’, i.e. the termination of food, clothing and pocket money allowances and the detention of asylum-seekers.


The Nationality Division

Head of Division: Dorit Hørlyck
Tel: 33 95 42 70 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9 a.m. - 12 noon, Wednesday: Closed)
Fax: 33 12 30 36
E-mail: infodkt@inm.dk

The Nationality Division handles specific and general matters concerning Danish nationality (citizenship).

The Division’s areas of responsibility are:

  • Preparation of the annual naturalisation bills
  • Handling applications for naturalisation in correspondance with the guidelines laid down by a majority of the Parliament
  • Processing of appeals of the State Administrative Bodies´ administration of Danish nationality legislation

The Secretariat of the Refugee Board

Head of Secretariat: Stig Torp Henriksen
Tel: 33 92 96 00
Fax: 33 11 12 39
E-mail: inm@inm.dk

The Refugee Board is an independent body for the processing of appeals made in connection with Immigration Service decisions on specific asylum cases. The Refugee Board is supported by a Secretariat, which assists the Board by preparing asylum cases, in order that cases can as much as is possible be processed and decided upon during the same board meeting.

The Secretariat's tasks include:

  • Supervising of vouchers and evaluating bilingual vouchers and documents to be translated
  • Evlauating whether documents from other asylum cases should be obtained
  • Obtaining relevant background information
  • Assigning counsel
  • Preparing draft decisions in specific cases
  • Publication of ’Information fra Flytningnævnet’ (Refugee Board News), which offers information on the work of the Board, including current problems involving asylum law


Last update: 5/24/2011
Published by: The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs
The Danish Immigration Service > Mail and direct phone numbers