Politicians in Denmark have agreed to make it more difficult to acquire citizenship in the country. The Northern European country last month cut benefits for asylum seekers in another move to deter an influx of refugees and economic migrants. Aljazeera reports:
“Acquiring Danish citizenship is something very special, and therefore it is also reasonable that we now raise the bar for when a person can call themselves a Danish citizen,” integration minister Inger Stojberg said in a statement on Monday. Those wanting to become Danish nationals will have to meet tougher requirements on language skills and be financially self-sufficient for four years and six months of the past five years, up from the current two years and six months.
Applicants will also have to score better on a test about Denmark, answering correctly on at least 32 of 40 questions. The questions cover Danish current affairs, Danish history and Danish society.
For applicants who have a criminal record, the period of time that has to elapse since their conviction before they can apply for citizenship will be increased by 50 percent. Under current rules, a criminal record results in a three to 20-year quarantine from obtaining citizenship, depending on the nature of the crime.
