Terminology

Permanent stay – permanent residence permit

TUB – permanent residence permit

Quota Refugee – a refugee who has been resettled through UNHCR’s resettlement program

Spontaneous Refugee – an asylum seeker who arrives to a country by themselves and seeks asylum

Dublin Regulation – an agreement between EU, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland about the processing of asylum seekers 

UMI – unaccompanied minor asylum seeker 

Return Position – an asylum seeker who has received a final rejection and await her/his departure, the police have the task to deport her/him to her/his country of origin

Deportation hindrances – the obstacles to carry out a deportation can be caused by the country of origin or the asylum seeker herself/himself

Deportation stop – in some periods, Denmark does not deport to particular countries, if these countries are considered too dangerous or there might not be a working authority 

Manifestly Unfounded (ÅG) – a procedure where the authorities assess that there is no ground for asylum  

Expedited version of manifestly unfounded procedure (ÅGH) – a procedure used in cases where the authorities assess that the asylum seeker comes from a country where it is unlikely that she/he would risk persecution, and therefore no ground for asylum

Manifest Permission – a faster procedure where the chance of obtaining asylum is considered to be high

IM meeting (OM-samtale) – information and motive meeting, the first interview with the Danish Immigration Service

Assigning (Visitering) – the Danish Immigration Service refers an asylum seeker who has obtained a residence permit in Denmark to a municipality where she/he will live. This is done according to a special quota system 

Exclusion clauses – according to the UN Refugee Convention, a person can be excluded from obtaining asylum if she/he has committed a crime against peace, a war crime or a crime against humanity. 

Exceptional leave to remain (Tålt ophold) – a person can be assigned this status of she/he is expelled from Demark or cannot obtain residence permit due to exclusion clauses but she/he risks the death penalty or other inhuman treatment in her/his country of origin

Integration Program – for the first 3 years, the municipality has the responsibility to assist the refugee. 

Grounds for residence – the type of residence permit the person hold in Denmark (such as visa, asylum, family re-united)

Residence due pending case /processuelt ophold – this is not a residence permit, but the asylum seeker can stay in Denmark while her/his case is being processed 

IFA – Internal Flight Alternative (a safe area in the country of origin for individual refugees) 

On hold – all asylum or Dublin cases from or to a certain country can be put on hold for many moths, while the authorities await the development

Convention Status – residence based on the UN Refugee Convention, Danish Alien Act § 7,1

Asylum application form – a few days after an asylum seeker’s arrival in Denmark, the asylum seeker is summoned to fill out a form on her/his native language about her/his personal information and motive of asylum. 

Interview – the interrogation/questioning by Danish Immigration Service is called the interview.

Pocket money / lommepenge – allowance that asylum seekers receive 

Positive / negative – usually, asylum seekers use these terms for asylum or rejection 

Recognition rate  – the percentage of asylum seekers who are granted asylum in first instance by the Danish Immigration, either according to § 7,1, § 7,2 or § 7,3

Gross number of asylum applications – the total number of people who seek asylum in Denmark (Dublin cases are deducted) 

Registration number – the number of asylum cases considered (after the Dublin cases are deducted and added). 

Transfer / return transfer – terms used in regard to Dublin cases; a transfer of a case to the country that has first registered the asylum seeker’s fingerprints; a return transfer of a case to the country where the asylum seeker has first applied for asylum.

Asylum producing countries – the countries where asylum seekers come from

Country  of origin report (COI) – information about the conditions in the different countries where asylum seeks usually come from. This information is collected continuously by NGOs, UN, EU and the authorities of the countries where migrants seek asylum.

Background information – the information that are stated in the country of origin reports, articles, convictions, etc. of a particular situation

UNHCR – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 

EASO – The European Asylum Support Office 

DRC – Danish Refugee Council / Dansk Flygtningehjælp

EMD / ECHR – The European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg (the area of Europe)

ECJ – The Court in Luxembourg / European Court of Justice (EU)

OHCHR – Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva

Co-operation statement – when an asylum seeker is rejected asylum, she/he will be summoned to a meeting with the National Police Immigration Department. The police encourage the rejected asylum seeker to sign a document stating that the asylum seeker will leave Denmark voluntarily and co-operate with the police. 

Co-operation – when an asylum seeker is rejected asylum, she/he will be summoned to a meeting with the National Police Immigration Department. The police encourage the rejected asylum seeker to sign a document stating that the asylum seeker will leave Denmark voluntarily and cooperate with the police. 

UCN – Udlændingecenter Nordsjælland / National Immigration Center of the National Police 

Humanitarian Residence – residence permit under § 9 b, mostly on the basis of serious illness

Case referral to first instance (Hjemvisning) – The Refugee Appeal Board may refer a case back to the Danish Immigration Service if there is new information or errors that needs to be considered in the first instance. 

Re-opening – a rejection ruled by the Refugee Appeals Board and a rejection of humanitarian residence cannot be appealed but one can apply to have the case reopened based on new and significant information.

Refoulement – the UN Refugee Convention prohibits deportation to a country where the person risks to be transferred to the country where the person is in danger. 

Age test – a doctor will conduct an age test of an unaccompanied minor, if the authorities suspect that the person is over the age of 18. The test is based on an examination of dentition, hand bones, and the overall body appearance. 

Language test – this is conducted in cases where the authorities question if the asylum seeker has informed his true nationality. The language test is audio recorded and this recording will be send to a language expert aboard.  

Residence card – when an asylum seeker has been granted a residence permit in Denmark, she/he will have her/his fingerprints and photo (biometrics) taken and will thereafter receive a residence card, which describe what kind of residence permit the person hold and when it will expire. 

Biometrics – fingerprints and photo, used for residence card