Exceptional circumstances and deportation hindrances

The Danish Immigration Service can grant a person a residence permit in exceptional cases according to § 9 c par. 1. This act can be applied to children with strong attachments to Denmark (see Humanitarian Residence Permit, Family reunification for refugees and Children in the asylum system) and it further applies to elderly parents of resident adults if they are ill and completely dependent on the resident adult family member. 

In addition, according to § 9 c par. 2, a rejected asylum seeker can obtain a residence permit if there are obstacles that prevent the person’s deportation. Yet, it is implied that the rejected asylum seeker co-operates actively to facilitate the deportation order and that the Danish Police has given up the deportation. This means that very few are granted a residence permit due to deportation hindrances. In 2013, only 18 people obtained a residence permit based on these two provisions.  

Read more about deportation hindrances in the report Asylum Camp Limbo and see the National Police status of deportation of 2014 (Danish only).