Number of asylum seekers in Denmark 2010-2019

How many people seek asylum in Denmark? The number of asylum seekers peaked in 2015 when 21,316 people applied for asylum in the Scandinavian country. In the years that followed, the number of asylum seekers decreased significantly and counted 2,716 people in 2019. Among these, only 1,783 individuals were granted asylum in Denmark.

Fewer asylum seekers

From 2015 onwards, the Danish government implemented several policies, which made it harder for immigrants to seek asylum in Denmark. Consequently, the number of asylum seekers as well as the number of successful grants of asylum decreased in the past years. Syrians and Eritreans accounted for the highest number of people receiving asylum in 2019, followed by Somalians and Moroccans.

Residence permits

In the bigger picture, the number of people who are granted asylum in Denmark is remarkably low when compared to other groups of immigrants. That year, most immigrants to Denmark came from other European countries, reaching almost 37 thousand people. Furthermore, approximately 17 thousand students and roughly 15 thousand workers received residence permits that year. Asylum seekers thus constitute the group of immigrants, which are granted the fewest permits in the country.