Allocation of Refugees
A refugee who is granted a residence permit in Denmark, and who has not previously held a Danish residence permit, is subject to the regulations stipulated in the Danish Integration Act relating to housing placement. These regulations specify that the Immigration Service will decide where in Denmark the refugee is to live.
When the Immigration Service allocates a refugee, i.e. decides in which municipality he/she is to live, the decision is based on the number of refugees each municipality must accept (its quota), as well as the personal circumstances of the refugee in question.
Establishing quotas
Each year, the Immigration Service forecasts national totals for the following year. The national totals are estimates of the number of refugees likely to be granted residence permits in Denmark in the next year, and who will therefore reside in a Danish municipality.
On the basis of these national figures, the five regions will attempt to reach a consensus on how refugees should be distributed between regions - according to regional quotas.
Following this, the municipalities in each region will attempt to reach an agreement on the distribution between municipalities – according to municipal quotas.
If agreement cannot be reached regarding either of these levels, the quotas will be determined by the Immigration Service. The principal purpose of the quotas is to ensure that refugees are distributed evenly across the country, in the interest of successful integration. The distribution of refugees between the municipalities changes from year to year. Many municipalities are not required to receive refugees, typically those consisting of large urban areas where there are already many resident foreign nationals.
Personal circumstances of the refugee
When the Immigration Service allocates a refugee who has been granted a residence permit, the refugee's personal situation is also taken into account. These circumstances are generally recorded during the examination phase of the application for asylum, but it is important that the Immigration Service is notified if any new circumstances arise that may be relevant to the case.
Supplementary information relevant to allocation
In order to inform the Immigration Service of any important changes or supplementary information about personal circumstances, which can be relevant to allocation, use this information form.