The Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration announced it will take a “number of initiatives” to prevent student stays in the country from being used as a backdoor to the Danish labour market in a statement on September 18.
According to the ministry, it will be “significantly more difficult” for international students from third countries, mainly Bangladesh and Nepal, to study at Danish universities if they “do not have the right academic qualifications”.
“Unfortunately, the curriculum has been exploited as a backdoor to the Danish labor market. We are now taking action against this. We have seen a huge increase in recent years in students and accompanying families from Bangladesh and Nepal in particular,” read a statement by minister of Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek, who was replaced just days after the decision by Rasmus Stoklund — a hardliner on asylum and refugees.
“We know that students from these two countries have a higher dropout rate than other foreigners, and that there are challenges with their academic and language level. At the same time, they work more than other foreign students, and to a much greater extent this is unskilled work. When you come to Denmark on a curriculum, the main purpose should of course be to study. That goes without saying.”
For their part, Nepalese and Bangladeshi students have hit out against these comments, criticising them as harmful stereotypes.
What are the new initiatives?
Apart from tightening academic entry requirements for third-country students through entrance exams or targeted language tests, Denmark will also strengthen measures against cheating.
Universities will be required to carry out stringent verification of international students’ educational documents before granting admission, with support from the National ID Center.
The Center will also review previously issued residence permits for Bangladeshi and Nepali students to assess whether they were obtained using fraudulent documents.
In addition, the government will restrict opportunities for international students to bring family members or dependents, while the post-study work permit will be shortened from three years to one.
The new proposals come only months after Denmark introduced work permit restrictions for international students enrolled in certain unaccredited courses.
Ministry notes poor results among Bangladeshi, Nepali students
Data shared by the ministry showed that between 2022 and 2024, only 1% of residence permits for Chinese students and 2% for US students were linked to accompanying family members.
In contrast, the figures were much higher for Nepal and Bangladesh, at 74% and 58% respectively, and stood at 23% for students from India.
According to a recent survey by the Ministry for Higher Education and Research under Christina Egelund, which focused on Nepali and Bangladeshi students across all eight Danish universities, Aarhus University — where Bangladeshi students form the largest international cohort — reported that one-third of students “do not appear study-oriented” but are instead motivated by staying in Denmark.
Aalborg University and Copenhagen Business School reported receiving applications via agents, including emails proposing recruitment cooperation from Nepal and Bangladesh, while the Technical University of Denmark noted that agents portray Denmark as offering easier residence permits than other EU countries.
Moreover, the survey suggested that Bangladeshi students at Aarhus had a first-year dropout rate of 13% in 2023 and 2024, compared with 4% for other international students.
It said that between 14-25% of Bangladeshi students who registered for exams failed to appear, compared with 5-6% of other international students, and their pass rate was 55-65%, compared with around 90% for other nationalities.
Universities attribute these challenges to students from countries like Bangladesh being “unfamiliar” with exams and group work, receiving low grades, and struggling to keep up with teaching “despite being punctual”.
The survey laid the groundwork for the recent policy changes, according to Egelund, who described the new initiatives as being “based on a solid foundation of knowledge”.
“Through our study programs, we bring talented international students to the country every year, which is a great gain – we must not waste that. That is why we take targeted and effective action to prevent cheating,” stated Egelund.
“Our initiatives are based on a solid foundation of knowledge, and we intervene where it makes a difference – without closing the door to all talented students who want to complete an education in the country.”
Moreover, Denmark’s announcement of higher upfront tuition fees for third-country students is expected to dampen interest among Bangladeshi applicants, who have favoured the country over Norway after it introduced tuition fees for non-EU students. However, Norway is now taking a different direction, as previously reported by The PIE News.
Danish universities, student organisations supportive yet cautious
In a written response to The PIE, Aarhus University stated that while it is too early to determine how the new rules will affect their institution, it has been provided with a new set of tools to help with the evaluation of international student applications and are still deciding which will be most useful and implementable.
The university further highlighted that it collaborates with Danish authorities and other universities, but acknowledged that new rules come with an administrative cost, which will factor into its ongoing dialogue.
Though the National Union of Students in Denmark supported measures to curb visa abuse and agency exploitation of Bangladeshi and Nepali students, it warned that higher fees for non-EU/EEA students would make the country less accessible, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“We are particularly worried about the proposal to raise tuition fees for non-EU/EEA students. In our view, international students and the internationalisation of our higher education [are] a huge asset whose value cannot be understated,” Christoffer Rosenkvist, chair of the National Union of Students in Denmark, told University World News.
“The only logical consequence of a raise in tuition fees across the board will be that Danish higher education will become far less accessible for international students from less privileged backgrounds than it already is.”
Bangladeshi, Nepali students, stakeholders react
Over the past few months, Bangladeshi and Nepali students have voiced criticism of what the Bangladesh Association of Students and Alumni in Denmark has described as “narratives that misrepresent the Bangladeshi community”, particularly from Danish media and politicians.
The Bangladeshi government must intervene immediately to educate agents and reassure the Danish authorities that such misuse will not take place
Ujjol Mia, Aspire Global Pathways
They emphasised that students are not exploiting the system but are paying tuition, following legal channels, contributing academically and economically, and that part-time work is often essential for “financial survival” due to limited scholarships.
Furthermore, Isha Thapa, a Nepali student who studied in Denmark, stated in an op-ed for The Copenhagen Post that “singling out Nepalese students” would not only reinforce “harmful stereotypes” but also create opacity in understanding the diversity and complexity of international students.
According to one international student, who requested anonymity and graduated from a Danish university earlier this year, while it is reasonable to expect students to integrate into Danish society, whether through learning the language or understanding the local way of life, Denmark can also support international students by initiating certain changes.
“Denmark can do more for its international students by providing additional social benefits beyond healthcare. As international students, we do not receive any other support from the government,” stated the graduate, who is currently working in Copenhagen.
“The students can also learn the language and try to make the necessary adjustments in order to fit more within the society. Personally, that is what I feel from the 2.5 years that I have stayed here in Denmark.”
But in order for Denmark to become more welcoming to third-country students, especially Bangladeshis, the work must also start at home, according to Ujjol Mia, CEO of Aspire Global Pathways.
“It is very important for us, as agents, to identify gaps and report them to the authorities. This helps prevent misuse and ensures Denmark does not resort to harsher measures, such as completely stopping recruitment from Bangladesh,” he stated.
“The Bangladeshi government must intervene immediately to educate agents and reassure the Danish authorities that such misuse will not take place. This is essential to protect genuine students who truly want to study in Denmark.”
