Danish Conservative Party Pushes for Limits on Muslim Country Work Permits

Denmark’s Conservative Party Proposes Stricter Work Permit Rules for Citizens of Muslim-Majority Nations

Denmark’s Conservative Party has proposed tightening work permit regulations for nationals from MENAPT countries—an acronym that includes the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, and Türkiye. The party argues that while foreign labour is often economically beneficial in the short term, it can pose long-term integration challenges for Danish society.

“There’s been a lack of recognition that those who arrive here as much-needed labour can end up becoming an integration challenge,”

said Mette Abildgaard, the Conservative Party’s political spokesperson.

She further emphasized that what benefits businesses in the short term is not always aligned with Denmark’s long-term national interests.

Industry Leaders Disagree with the Proposal

However, Denmark’s largest business and employers’ organisation, the Confederation of Danish Industry (Dansk Industri, DI), has publicly disagreed with the Conservative Party's stance.

“As long as internationals come and work on the Danish labour market, we are all for it. We don’t see a need to restrict any labour. As long as it is labour, as long as internationals come here to work, we value them no matter where they’re from,”

said Søren Kjærsgaard Høfler, a senior consultant with DI.

The Confederation stressed that economic contributions should outweigh nationality or region of origin when determining work permit policies.

Affected Countries Under the Conservative Party’s Plan

If the Conservative Party’s proposal is adopted, nationals from the following MENAPT countries could face stricter work permit conditions:

Middle East: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Israel, Palestine

North Africa: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Sudan

Pakistan

Türkiye

These countries currently fall under Denmark’s standard rules for non-EU nationals, which require job offers that meet minimum salary thresholds. The proposal would introduce stricter vetting or conditions for workers from these specific regions.

Uncertain Political Support

It remains unclear whether the proposal will gain sufficient support in the Danish Parliament. However, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has previously echoed similar sentiments about limiting foreign labour—particularly from specific regions.

“Of course, it’s positive that people want to contribute to Denmark, but when it comes to foreign labour, numbers matter—especially those from North Africa and the Middle East,”

Frederiksen stated.

Other Labour Market Restrictions Already in Place

In recent months, Danish authorities have already taken steps to limit access to the labour market for certain foreign nationals. This includes stricter controls on students from third countries, amid concerns that some were using student residence permits as a gateway to employment.

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