Denmark continues to rank among the EU nations receiving the lowest number of asylum applications, according to new data from the Ministry of Immigration and Integration.

In 2024, Denmark placed 20th out of 27 EU member states for asylum claims per capita—down from 5th place in 2014. Similar trends were seen in 2023, when Denmark ranked 21st.

Refugees are more likely to seek asylum in countries like Germany, Belgium, Austria, and the Netherlands, as well as EU states along the Mediterranean, according to Eurostat and national statistics.

Immigration Minister Kaare Dybvad Bek attributed the low numbers to Denmark’s long-standing restrictive immigration policies. “Denmark has been tightening its immigration rules for many years. I have no doubt that this has contributed to historically low asylum numbers,” he said in a press release.

He also highlighted Denmark’s repatriation policy, stating that rejected asylum seekers are not allowed to remain in the country illegally. “They must return home, and the figures suggest that most now understand this,” he added.

In 2023, Denmark approved just 860 asylum applications—the lowest figure since 2020, when the pandemic significantly reduced migration.

The Danish government remains firm on its stance. Last month, Denmark joined eight other EU countries, including Italy and Poland, in signing an open letter calling for a review of how the European Convention on Human Rights is applied in relation to migration. Photo by Rhys Williams, Wikimedia commons.