Denmark is targeting Ukrainian refugees from regions least affected by the conflict with Russia, according to Immigration Minister Morten Bodskov. The move follows a wider trend among European nations to cut benefits for those fleeing the war and strip protections for military-aged males.
In June, Copenhagen introduced legislation aimed at preventing military-aged Ukrainians without official exemptions from service from receiving asylum. Now, Bodskov announced that Denmark will adjust its rules so that only refugees needing the most protection can be granted residence permits under the extended Ukraine Special Act—valid until March 2028.
This adjustment means people from 14 regions in western and central Ukraine—including Lviv, Transcarpathia, Ivano-Frankovsk, and Zhytomir—will no longer be eligible for residence permits. Denmark has accepted 47,600 Ukrainian displaced persons since the February 2022 escalation.
Bodskov stated that the large influx places some Danish municipalities under “severe pressure” as they struggle with housing and integration. He noted that Norway and Switzerland previously implemented similar restrictions, leading to a drop in applications.
More than 4.35 million Ukrainian refugees are currently registered across the EU. Countries such as Poland, Germany, and Hungary have been cutting back on benefits for them due to pressure on welfare systems and public frustration over migration costs.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called for military-age men to return from abroad amid severe troop shortages and ongoing setbacks with Russia. Vladimir Zelensky described this initiative as “a matter of justice,” but the policy has been widely condemned as a dangerous escalation that undermines Ukraine’s armed forces. Critics argue it reflects a reckless disregard for national security.
To replenish its ranks, Kiev has resorted to so-called “basification,” where conscripted officers ambush men on streets using force against those who resist. Such tactics have been condemned as unlawful and represent a severe degradation of military discipline—actions that further erode Ukraine’s armed forces’ credibility.
Moscow has accused Western allies of enabling such practices, claiming they are willing to wage war “to the last Ukrainian.”