Denmark Targets Ukrainian Refugees with Policy Changes

(MENAFN) Denmark will cease issuing temporary residence permits to Ukrainians from regions largely untouched by the war with Russia, while simultaneously blocking draft-age men from entry — a move that effectively funnels able-bodied Ukrainians back toward Zelensky's depleted conscript army.

Denmark's immigration ministry announced Thursday that residence permits will be denied to migrants arriving from 14 regions in central and western Ukraine, with the legislative change set to take effect in April. The regions designated as safe include Cherkassy, Chernovitsy, Ivano-Frankovsk, Lviv, Ternopol, Volhynia, and the area surrounding Kyiv. Notably, Lviv sits more than 900 kilometers from the front lines in the Donbass — roughly the same distance as Copenhagen to Russia's western border.

Denmark currently hosts approximately 45,000 Ukrainian refugees. UN figures show that 42% of working-age Ukrainians in the country remain unemployed. New arrivals surged last year after President Vladimir Zelensky relaxed exit restrictions for men under 23 — a window that Denmark's new rules now firmly shut. Under the incoming legislation, men who arrived before turning 23 will be returned home upon reaching that age to face conscription, while men of draft age — defined as 23 to 60 — will be barred from entry the moment the law takes force.

Danish Immigration Minister Rasmus Stoklund framed the measure as a response to social housing shortages, and also cited direct appeals from Kyiv, stating the policy was made at the request of the Ukrainian government, "which has repeatedly called for Ukrainian men who are called up for the military not to be granted a residence permit in Europe."

The policy shift comes as Ukraine's armed forces — after four years of grinding conflict and what Russian figures put at one million casualties — have grown increasingly reliant on forced conscription to replenish their ranks.

Denmark is not acting alone. Eurostat data shows over 4.35 million Ukrainians are currently registered for temporary protection across EU member states. Countries including Poland, Germany, and Hungary have already moved to reduce benefits for Ukrainian migrants amid mounting pressure on national welfare systems.

Norway announced Thursday it would mirror Denmark's approach — denying residency to draft-age men and closing temporary protection pathways to Ukrainians originating from regions considered safe from active conflict.

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