Michael de Laine

Dual-citizenship bill sent to committee for further discussions

By Michael de Laine, Copenhagen, 20 February 2009

A bill to allow dual citizenship for Danes, tabled before parliament yesterday, has been sent to the parliamentary naturalisation and citizenship committee for discussions and while an ongoing study on dual citizenship in other European countries continues. The right wing wants to limit instances of dual citizenship, while the left wing is generally positive.

A bill to allow dual citizenship for Danes, tabled before the Danish parliament, Folketinget, yesterday by Jørgen Poulsen of the Social Liberals, has been sent to the parliamentary naturalisation and citizenship committee for further discussions and while an ongoing study on dual citizenship in other European countries continues.

A second bill, tabled by the independent Naser Khader, for a committee to study the potential impact of allowing dual citizenship, was seen as superfluous in the light of the ongoing study, but was also sent to the parliamentary naturalisation and citizenship committee for further discussions.

At present, foreigners acquiring Danish citizenship must rescind their former nationality, while Danes who are naturalised abroad must rescind their Danish citizenship. Some ten thousand Danes abroad, who have lost their Danish citizenship, want the government to allow dual citizenship. Denmark can grant exemptions from the rules, but is reluctant to do so. Sixteen of the European Union’s 27 members allow dual citizenship.

In the parliamentary debate on the bills, Minister of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs Birthe Rønn Hornbech, said the government wanted to limit the number of permitted dual citizenships, partly to prevent terrorists with dual citizenship carrying out acts of terror in one country and then hiding in their country of citizenship, which would refuse to deport its own citizens to another country for trial.

Noting that the ongoing study is still gathering information from other countries on their experiences with dual citizenship, and that there is as yet no basis for debating the bills further, she rejected the proposals.

According to Simon Emil Ammitzbøll, of the Civil Centre Party, 40% of the people who are awarded Danish citizenship end up with dual citizenship because they come from countries - in particular from Russia - that refuse to allow their citizens to rescind their citizenship.

Doubting that the figure of 40% is correct, Søren Krarup of the Danish People’s Party rejected the proposals, which he said would be the start of the break-up of nation states in the name of globalisation. It would threaten Denmark’s independence, he said.

While many Danes who have had to rescind their Danish citizenship because they have been naturalised in a new country and therefore want the governments of the two countries to allow dual citizenship as they still feel attached to Denmark, Krarup noted that people can only live in one country at a time and therefore have no need for dual citizenship.

Tom Behnke of the Conservatives said he is not in favour of dual citizenship, but that he would like to hear the arguments for and against dual citizenship. He would not reject the proposals out of and would wait for the report of the ongoing study.

Hanne Agersnap, Socialist People’s Party, said dual citizenship as an expression of representing two cultures was a positive contribution to democracy.

Gitte Lillelund Bech of the Liberals regarded Danish citizenship as a form of recognition of the legal principles in Denmark. Dual citizenship would lead to conflicts of interest for countries and people concerned. She also rejected the proposals, but would await the report of the ongoing group.

Commenting on his own bill, Poulsen said, “We know dual citizenship will come sooner or later.” The lack of a dual citizenship option is negative for many people, but he said there are advantages for people to retain their original nationality when they become naturalised Danes.

Khader said nothing would be lost by allowing dual citizenship, but he admitted that problems could arise from being a national of two countries. A study of the consequences was therefore required.