Amid opposition from right-wing parties: MPs are considering changing the word “foreigner” in passports issued to non-Danes

The Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) published a report on the government and several political parties discussing changing the term "foreigner" in foreign passports issued to people of foreign origin who were born and raised in Denmark and do not hold a passport from another country. According to the report, thousands of people in Denmark hold foreign passports (issued by Denmark) because they cannot obtain a Danish passport or a passport from another country. This category typically includes refugees and their young children who have lived their entire lives in Denmark. Foreign passports are gray (while Danish passports are red) and feature a foreign letter in capital letters on the first page.

The Social Democratic Party (the ruling party), the Conservative Party, the Radical Party, and the Unity List are currently discussing whether the word “foreigner” should be changed in the foreign passport.

DR interviewed ten young people aged between 18 and 30 who were born in Denmark and do not like being called “foreigner” on their passports. One of the young women said, “Personally, I feel that my mother country, Denmark, has excluded me (because of the foreigner label). Denmark has made me feel like a stranger. My first language is Danish and I feel Danish, but on paper I am something else,” says Anella Sobo (18) from Horsens, who holds a grey passport because her parents fled the war in Bosnia.

Considering the feelings of young people
Radicals have suggested several times that it should be easier for young people born and raised in Denmark to become citizens when they reach the ninth grade, provided they have not committed crimes. However, the proposal has been voted on several times and has not received parliamentary approval. Therefore, Indigenous rights spokesperson Susanne Kronborg (of a right-wing party) suggests that at least the word “foreigner” be removed until the decision is voted on, as this would be an easy way to consider the feelings of people who already feel very isolated, according to her.

The United List party supports the proposal to search for a word other than “foreigner,” while remaining convinced that this does not change the fact that it is another passport that does not grant the same rights, according to Peder Hvelbund.

Another example is the young Johnny Emmanuel, a storyteller, who grew up in Aalborg carrying a gray travel document because his parents fled Iraq.

The Minister for Foreigners and Integration is open to the idea of discussing changing the word “foreigner”.”
Minister for Immigration and Integration Mattias Tesfaye commented, “If someone has a unique proposal, we can consider it, but people who currently hold a foreign passport will not become Danish citizens simply because the passport's name has changed. In other words, you won't have a Danish passport.” Tesfaye pointed out that when Turks first came to Denmark, they were called “foreign workers,” but this was later changed to “guest workers.” He added, “If the word “foreign” is changed, there will be additional costs associated with printing new passports. Since a passport is a travel document, it will still be called a ”foreign passport’ in English. You can easily change the wording, but those who don't want to feel like they aren't fully integrated into society won't change that by altering a few words…”

Conservatives: They should show gratitude instead of complaining
The Conservative Party wants to tighten the laws, and a party spokesperson says, “If you have lived here for 20 years and received the full Danish package of services and care despite being from Iraq or Somalia, you should be grateful rather than complaining.” He added that the discussion really revolves around Danish laws regarding citizenship.

The new bourgeoisie: “Foreign” is the right word and they should return to their homelands.
The neo-bourgeoisie believe that the word “foreigner” in the passport is appropriate, since holders of the grey passport are not Danish citizens, and the Danish People’s Party agrees with them: “They are strangers if their parents are not rooted in Denmark and they have no right to be here. They are here temporarily and must be sent back home, because Denmark is not their homeland and cannot be.”.

It can take many years to obtain a Danish passport.
The source stated that if young people were born and raised in Denmark to refugees or immigrant parents, many can only obtain citizenship and a Danish passport when they are in their mid- to late twenties. Further rules and regulations can delay the process. For example, to become a citizen, one must have worked full-time for three years and six months within the last four years. This requirement also applies to young people who have just completed youth education and therefore cannot meet it; however, they can apply for an exemption if they are under 22 and entered Denmark before the age of eight.
If an exemption request is submitted, the Danish Parliament's Indigenous Rights Committee must decide on each applicant individually. Marie Krupp of the right-wing Danish People's Party has stated that she will only grant citizenship to Muslims she knows personally. The neo-bourgeois party also votes "no" on numerous issues, while the Conservatives want to limit the granting of Danish citizenship to people from outside the EU and the Nordic countries.

For example, if a 19-year-old's exemption is denied and they choose to study for four years, they must complete their studies by age 23. They can then meet employment requirements four years later, at age 27, provided they secure a job immediately after graduation. Following this, they must pass a citizenship test, which is administered twice a year, and then wait for their application to be processed. In 2020, this process took 16 months. If the application is approved, the individual becomes a Danish citizen only after a constitutional ceremony at the municipality, which is also held twice a year.
Until the young people obtain Danish citizenship, they either hold a passport from their parents' country of origin or a grey travel document if they cannot obtain a passport in Denmark or another country.
(Sources: Website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Integration and an interview with Christian Kriegbaum Jensen, a citizenship researcher at Aalborg University, as quoted by DR)