Endelig dansker

Jeg har en tilståelse. I de seneste mange år har jeg – som britisk statsborger der, da jeg var barn, boede syv år i England – åbenbart skrevet en masse avisartikler uden et ordentligt kendskab til samfundet og dansk historie og -kultur.

“De har ikke dokumenteret Deres kendskab til danske samfundsforhold, dansk kultur og historie”, stod der nemlig i afslaget til min ansøgning om dansk statsborgerskab, der dumpede ind ad min brevsprække i juni 2018, næsten to år efter jeg havde ansøgt første gang.

No plan, no time, no deal, no future?

Nobody really knows what kind of Brexit the UK and its citizens at home and abroad will get, even though Brexit Day is only a few weeks away. The Danish government is hoping for a deal and preparing for a no-deal.

I have a confession to make: I couldn’t decide at the time whether to vote Remain or Leave in the Brexit referendum. In the end, though, I didn’t have to because I have lived outside the UK for too long and wasn’t allowed to vote.

Danmarks Indsamling: What about the causes of poverty?

The purpose of Denmark’s largest televised charity event, Danmarks Indsamling, is to raise money “to help people in some of the poorest countries in the world to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”  But how can the event do that without focusing on the causes of poverty?

On February 2, annual charity event Danmarks Indsamling culminates with a large show on Danish national television.  Before and during the show, 12 of the largest Danish humanitarian NGO’s that run the event try to raise as much money as possible

Danish PM: Brits can stay in Denmark after no deal Brexit

“Of course you can stay. We are preparing legislation that we hope won’t be necessary,” Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen replied to a tweet I sent him, asking whether British citizens like me can stay in Denmark after a no deal Brexit.

Løkke had told the Danish Parliament in October that “I want to make it abundantly clear that no matter the end result of the negotiations, we will of course look after the thousands of British citizens living in Denmark today.”

Can I stay in Denmark after Brexit, Lars Løkke?

The EU is leaving it to Member States like Denmark to ensure that Brits like me can stay after Brexit. The Danish PM has promised to “take care of us” but I haven’t received an answer from him as to whether I can actually stay or not.

I am a British citizen, born in Denmark to a Danish mother. I have lived in England between 1973 and 1979, and in Denmark ever since. With Brexit, I stand to lose some of the rights I have become accustomed to, when I become a third country citizen in the EU and Denmark.

Brits in Denmark could face Brexodus

The Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and EU could sacrifice the freedom of movement of UK citizens living in the EU. The Danish Ministry of Immigration says the Danish government will decide what will happen to Brits in Denmark once negotiations are concluded.

The media talk a lot about a potential Brexodus, whereby the effects of Brexit leads to an exodus of EU-citizens from the UK. There is much less focus on the plight of the 1 million UK citizens living in the EU.

British Euroscepticism and the prospect of a no-deal Brexit

Over a million Brits live in the EU, around 18.000 of them in Denmark. As a result of Britain’s ambivalent relationship with Europe through the ages, they are now facing uncertainty and frustration at the prospect of a no-deal Brexit.

Britain’s relationship with Europe has always been ambivalent. From the invasions of Britain by the Romans, Vikings and Normans to debates and votes on whether the UK should join the European Community and leave the EU.

BBC cross-examines Danes on integration policy

Denmark’s immigration policies have been under scrutiny worldwide in recent years.  Sunday, the BBC broadcast a programme where a Copenhagen audience questioned four Danish politicians and social commentators on immigration, integration and Danishness.

The BBC had invited around 300 Danes to question a panel of MP for the Danish People’s Party Martin Henriksen, MP for the Red-Green Alliance Pernille Skipper, author Knud Romer and Integration Advisor Uzma Ahmed on matters such as immigration, the Danish burqa ban, and the concept of Danishness.

Brexit means uncertainty

Confusion and uncertainty. That seemed to sum up the mood of many at an otherwise informative briefing for British Nationals in Denmark on citizens’ rights after the UK´s exit from the EU.

There are over 18.000 British citizens living in Denmark. Around 200 of them had turned up to hear about what Brexit would mean for them at a packed event hosted by the British Embassy in Copenhagen at the Danish Architecture Centre on Thursday.

Danes don niqabs and masks to protest new law

Hundreds of demonstrators wore full-face veils, masks, diving equipment and helmets to protest the Danish Burqa law that came into force today. The law bans the use of the Muslim niqab veil and burqa, as well as other items that cover the face such as false beards and masks.

The demonstration started in the multicultural area of Nørrebro in the Danish capital Copenhagen and ended in front of the Bellahøj Police Station, where the demonstrators joined hands to form a human chain that surrounded the police station.