OVERVIEW: HOW THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO RESTRAIN THE MISUSE OF STUDENT RESIDENCE RULES

The government is now tightening the rules for non-EU citizens who wish to study at Danish universities. The rules for admission will be tightened, and the government will remove the possibility for students from third countries to bring family members with them. 

The changes come after Bangladeshi and, to some extent, Nepali students at Danish universities have been the subject of much debate in recent months. Since it became publicly known that students from these two countries have come to Denmark to study in increasing numbers, Berlingske has uncovered how some are using their student visas to gain access to the Danish labour market. 

This has caused a furore at Christiansborg, where Minister for Education and Science, Christina Egelund (Moderates) has been summoned to several consultations on the matter – most recently together with Minister for Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek (S). 

In particular, the Liberal Alliance and the Danish People's Party have demanded political action. Although Christina Egelund has reported that universities have in fact already managed to reduce the number of new students from Bangladesh – preliminary figures for this year's summer intake show a 29 per cent drop in admissions from Bangladesh compared to 2024 – the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Immigration and Integration have now presented a number of initiatives to "prevent misuse of student residence. 

Minister questioned about Bangladeshi students – promises to restrain the intake

"The government will implement several initiatives to prevent student residence in Denmark from being used as a back door into the labour market. The initiatives are being launched in response to a significant increase in the number of students from Bangladesh in particular and a suspicion that the student residences are being used for labour migration," according to the press release from the ministry.

Dybvad Bek: “Study programme exploited as a back door to the Danish labour market”

The study programme has "unfortunately been exploited as a back door to the Danish labour market," says Kaare Dybvad Bek in the press release.

"We are now taking action to address this. In recent years, we have seen a huge increase in students and their families, particularly from Bangladesh and Nepal. We know that students from these two countries have higher dropout rates than other international students, and that there are challenges with their academic levels and language qualifications. At the same time, they work more than other international students, and this largely concerns unskilled work. When you come to Denmark on a study programme, the main purpose should obviously be to study. That goes without saying," says the Minister for Immigration and Integration.

Student residence should be for those who want to study, not for those who misuse the rules and use it as a back door into the Danish labour market, says Christina Egelund.

"Through our study programmes, we attract talented international students to the country every year, which is a great asset – we must not spoil that. That is why we take targeted and effective measures to prevent fraud. Our initiatives are based on a solid foundation of knowledge, and we are taking action where it makes a difference – without closing the door to all talented students who want to complete their education in this country," says the Minister. 

Below is a more detailed description of the initiatives: 

Tightening of academic admission requirements for Master's degree programmes and better selection of qualified applicants

Tightening of academic admission requirements: Universities will be allowed to tighten academic admission requirements. Today, admission requirements for a Master's degree programme are determined only by the number of ECTS credits completed in the relevant fields of study. In the future, universities will be able to set requirements for specific skills or use qualification tests. 

More targeted language tests: Master's degree programmes in English currently require applicants to have passed English at a minimum of B level. The requirement can be met, for example, through specific language tests. In the future, universities will have greater freedom to choose which international language tests they recognise, and they will be able to require students to undergo a language proficiency test if there is suspicion that they have been admitted on fraudulent grounds.

New, systematic monitoring of the admission of students from non-EU countries: The Ministry of Education and Science will now keep a closer eye on the intake of non-EU students in higher education programmes to "be able to intervene at an early stage". From next year, the Ministry will systematically monitor the intake, and an annual report on the intake will be prepared. If significant changes are observed, for example, for specific nationalities, the ministry will enter into dialogue with the educational institutions

Strengthening universities' inspection of applicants' educational documents

Requirement for verified or physical educational documents for all international students before the start of their studies: In the future, universities will be required to verify international educational documents before applicants from non-EU countries can be given a final admission offer. 

Possibility of sanctions for attempted fraud or submission of false information: Universities may exclude applicants from applying for admission to the university in question for a period of time if they attempt to cheat or submit false information. The government is also investigating the possibility of allowing universities to share information about attempts at cheating.

Tighter control of missing study activity

New requirement for study activity for students who are in the country on a student residence permit: Universities are obliged to identify and withdraw students who are in the country on a student residence permit if they fail to meet a set of new centrally determined study activity requirements In addition, universities will be allowed to introduce a commencement of studies exam for Master's degree programmes, making sure that admitted students who lack the right qualifications, or who fail to show up, can be withdrawn from the programme as early as possible and thereby lose their residence permit.

Higher tuition fees and larger upfront payment

A larger portion of the tuition fee must be paid upfront: International self-financing students must pay a larger part of the total participant fee at the start of their studies. It may also be required that students from non-EU countries provide a bank guarantee covering payment for the entire programme. 

Possibility to set a higher participant fee: The Ministry of Education and Science will review the tuition fees for students from non-EU countries. The purpose is to determine whether the fees for certain study programmes are set too low, and to explore the possibility of establishing a minimum tuition fee.  Based on their review, a new pricing structure is expected to be introduced. Today, universities themselves set the tuition fees for international students based on the universities’ expenses for each programme. 

The above falls within the remit of the Ministry of Education and Science. Here are the initiatives involving the Ministry of Immigration and Integration: 

The government will prevent students from bringing their family members with them. Today, students from non-EU countries can bring their spouses and children with them. The spouse has the right to work during the stay. 

The government intends to shorten the period of job-seeking after completion of education. Currently, students are automatically granted a three-year job-seeking period after completing their studies in Denmark. In the future, the period will be shortened to one year.

The National ID Centre will be able to assist universities in checking international students' educational documents. The aim is to make it more difficult for foreigners to obtain a student residence permit on the basis of false documents. The National ID Centre is an independent competence centre at expert level, whose purpose is to strengthen security and control efforts in the field of immigration. In addition, the National ID Centre will review previously issued student residence permits issued to citizens of Bangladesh and Nepal to assess whether they were issued on the basis of false documents.

This text is machine translated and post-edited by Lisa Enevoldsen