The Immigration Service is changing its practice in its processing of cases about the issuance of aliens’ passports. The change has an impact on applications from Belarusian citizens, among other things.
This happens after the Ombudsman has asked about the practice.
The change means that the Immigration Service no longer automatically rejects applications about aliens’ passports when the applicant is in possession of a national passport with a period of validity that exceeds the expected case processing time.
In future, the Service is going to process the applications and consider if the applicants can be granted an aliens’ passport when their national passport has expired unless the national passport has a validity that exceeds the expected case processing time considerably.
The Ombudsman is satisfied with this change.
‘Generally, there is no reason to reject applications for aliens’ passports from Belarusian citizens, among others, because the applicant has a national passport if the national passport will have expired – or is close to expiring – when the authority’s decision is available. In my opinion, it is important that the authorities’ case processing in that way does not unnecessarily result in rejections and difficulties’, says Parliamentary Ombudsman Christian Britten Lundblad.
Regrets wrongful processing of applications
In addition, the Immigration Service regrets that it has not been sufficiently aware that, as a result of an amendment of the Aliens Executive Order of November 2024, Belarusian citizens can under certain circumstances obtain an aliens’ passport without having to document their inability to have a new national passport issued. On that background, the Service has not treated the applicants correctly in its decisions and consultations of parties. The Ombudsman agrees that this is regrettable.
Subsequently, the Service has reviewed the cases that have been affected by the error and has reopened its processing of relevant cases. In addition, the Service has specified its case processing procedure and the guidance provided on the website newtodenmark.dk.
The Ombudsman entered the case based on a number of articles in the national newpaper Berlingske about applications for issuance of aliens’ passports to Belarusian citizens not having been processed correctly.
On the basis of the Immigration Service’s reply, the Ombudsman takes no further steps in the case.
Read the Ombudsman's statement (in Danish only).
Further details:
Director of International Relations Klavs Kinnerup Hede, kkh@ombudsmanden.dk.