Denmark Revokes Citizenship of Foreign Fighters

Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, where the Danish Parliament is located. (Flickr)

Denmark passed legislation on October 24 stipulating that dual citizens who have fought or will fight for foreign armed groups will have their dual-citizenship status revoked in order to prevent re-entry into the country. The ruling Social Democrats, the center-right Liberal Party, and the right-populist Danish People’s Party supported the bill, while the Social Liberals, the Red-Green Alliance, and the green party Alternative opposed it, Al Jazeera reports. 

Under this legislation, Danish immigration will have the jurisdiction to revoke citizenship while an individual is still abroad and without a court hearing, both of which used to be requirements.

According to Al Jazeera, the predominant aim of this new legislation is to target Danes who have fought for the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq.

Since 2012, at least 158 Danes joined Islamic militant groups in Iraq and Syria, according to Reuters. Al Jazeera reports that 36 people travelled from Denmark to the Middle East in order to fight for militant groups in September, according to Denmark’s justice minister. 

This bill comes in response to an escalation of conflict in northeastern Syria, where IS captives are imprisoned by Kurdish militias. The Turkish offensive into Syria that started on October 9 has increased the likelihood that these captives will escape and return home. 

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, of the Social Democrats, responded to the new development in Syria, saying, “There is a risk that the Kurdish-controlled IS-camps in the border area will collapse and that foreign warriors with Danish citizenship will move toward Denmark,” Reuters reports. 

Before it was passed, the bill was amended twice. The first round of amendments were geared towards permitting exemptions to the prescribed four-week period given to those affected by the law to make appeals to the decisions. The second round of amendments created a “sunset clause” stipulating that the bill would expire, unless otherwise decided by the Danish Parliament, in July 2021. 

The Danish prime minister said in response to this bill that “These people have turned their backs on Denmark and used violence to combat our democracy and freedom. They are not wanted in Denmark.” Frederiksen also said that the government “will therefore do everything possible to prevent them from returning to Denmark,” according to Reuters.

Other European states such as the U.K. and Germany have been implementing the same policy of revoking the citizenship of dual nationals who join foreign Islamist militant groups, according to the Local. 

Many European countries are reluctant to prosecute foreign fighters, due to difficulties in collecting evidence against them and fearing renewed attacks by militants in Europe, Reuters reports.