Opportunity and Exclusion: Who Gets What in Denmark | LWID S3E16

Who gets access to opportunity in Denmark — and who gets left out? It's a closer look at inclusion, exclusion, and who gets support — all seen through the eyes of internationals living in Denmark. This week on Last Week In Denmark, co-hosts Narcis and Kalpita share their personal takes on the week’s top stories: new restrictions on undocumented migrants, free legal help for startups, and funding to help low-income kids join sports and clubs.

In this episode:

1. New laws bar undocumented migrants from driving, studying, or starting businesses (03:46)
2. New scheme offers free help to register trademarks and protect startup ideas (16:10)
3. 41 million DKK invested to help low-income kids join sports and clubs (26:36)

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Chapters

• 3:46 New laws bar undocumented migrants from driving, studying, or starting businesses
• 16:10 New scheme offers free help to register trademarks and protect startup ideas
• 26:36 41 million DKK invested to help low-income kids join sports and clubs

Transcript

🧾 Last Week in Denmark – Episode 16 Transcript

NARCIS:
 Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Last Week in Denmark. I know some of you think this podcast is an audio version of the newsletter where we basically read it out loud. Actually, no. It’s a commentary on 1, 2, 3, 4 main topics from the newsletter, and we try to explain or give opinions on those situations from our own life perspectives as internationals living in Denmark. And luckily, our podcast cast is quite diverse, so this allows for a variety of opinions during our episodes.

But anyway, I just wanted to make a short intermezzo before we start. We are already at episode 16. My name is Narcis George Matache and I'm here together with Kalpita Bhusari.

KALPITA:
 That's me.

NARCIS:
 Hello, Kalpita. I’m glad we’re doing another episode together.

KALPITA:
 Yeah, last one was fun. This is going to be even better.

NARCIS:
 And this one is special because we’re recording close to midnight. Well, not really, it’s 9:30—but still.

KALPITA:
 True, true.

NARCIS:
 It’s the latest episode we’ve ever recorded. So if we sound less energetic, it’s only because there’s no light outside. But then again, once winter comes, there never is any light outside, so...

KALPITA:
 I know! But it is the start of summer, right? There should be some kind of light over here. It’s just been horribly windy and gray and very, very unpleasant. It feels more like autumn than spring or summer.

NARCIS:
 Today in the north was sun, sun, sun. Beautiful, beautiful day.

KALPITA:
 Oh yeah, you got some garden work done, haven’t you?

NARCIS:
 Exactly.

KALPITA:
 Wow. Lucky you.

NARCIS:
 Only yesterday was cold, but the rest of the week was very sunny. I had days where I simply went outside and had lunch outdoors.

KALPITA:
 Oh my God.

NARCIS:
 I ate outside, Kalpita—not inside four walls.

KALPITA:
 Wow.

NARCIS:
 Can you understand what that means?

KALPITA:
 I'm really, really jealous. I can't sit outside—it’s incredibly windy. And if it's not windy, it’s raining or freezing. It's supposed to be 15 or 16 degrees, but it feels like eight. Not fun at all.

NARCIS:
 Exactly.

KALPITA:
 Yeah.

NARCIS:
 But enough about sun. Let's get into our three main topics for today...

NARCIS:
 Today we're going to start by talking about the new laws targeting people who have lost their residence permit in Denmark. Then we’ll talk about how you as an entrepreneur can protect your business ideas—especially if others could copy and replicate your model.
 And finally, we’ll talk about low-income kids and how they can get support to enjoy the same quality of life as children from more fortunate families.

Let’s start with the first topic, which seems the most difficult. The government has announced that they want to tighten the rules. This is just a proposal—it’s not yet passed. They expect it could pass by the end of the year.

Basically, they want to make it hard for people who’ve lost their residence permit—due to deportation or other reasons—to live normally or access public services like driving, registering a company, going to school, or using the healthcare system.
 The message is: If you shouldn’t be here, you shouldn’t be able to live a normal life here.

This all started after a horrific car accident where a person, who was on the list to be deported and living in a deportation center, caused a fatal accident due to bad driving. The public was outraged that someone set to be deported could still drive freely, and this sparked the government’s reaction.

My biggest fear, Kalpita, is that this law isn’t just for people being deported. If you read the Ministry of Integration’s statement, it refers to people “living in the country without legal residence,” which includes more than deportees, right?

KALPITA:
 Yeah, that could include people seeking asylum. Or people who came without documentation and are trying to get legitimized in another country.
 This is just another example of how the government—especially the Foreign and Integration Ministries—are making it harder and harder to get into Denmark, not just physically, but legally too.

Now they're going beyond driving licenses—no healthcare either. That’s really doubling down.
 But maybe they’re also just pushing to extremes so they can later settle on a compromise. They also mention expanding the Knife Act, which limits carrying knives in housing facilities.

NARCIS:
 The Knife Act applies to facilities run by the Ministry of Immigration and Integration—not in general. It doesn’t mean I can’t have a knife in my home.

KALPITA:
 Yeah, it’s about possessing or carrying knives in accommodation facilities.
 It seems like it’s partly a response to youth violence, especially at the borders. Some people living in Denmark but involved in unlawful activity are causing unrest, so this is their reaction.
 But I still think everyone deserves healthcare. Even if we pay for it through taxes—on a human level, everyone deserves care.

NARCIS:
 Exactly. And it worries me that you can lose legal status without committing a crime.
 Your visa could expire, or you may no longer meet the conditions you once fulfilled.
 So if you’ve lived here for years, and then lose status—you’re suddenly locked out of everything: driving, studying, healthcare.
 The law isn’t clearly worded. It should target those being deported due to criminal activity—not expired visas.

I’m a European citizen, so this doesn’t affect me. But if you’re from outside the EU—it’s very different. Kalpita, can someone even enter Denmark without a residence permit?

KALPITA:
 No. Maybe you can get a short-term visa or a temporary stay if approved. But otherwise, you’d be sent back.
 And it’s not just people like me. This affects students, workers, anyone whose visa has expired or who got laid off and is now trying to renew.
 I recently talked to someone in that situation. They lived here for nine years, studied, paid taxes, had a job—but after being laid off, they’re at risk of being sent home.

Even though I’ve been here since 2016 and I’m married to a Danish citizen, that doesn’t count for much.
 The rules are still strict, and they apply to all visa holders.

NARCIS:
 But even if your visa expired tomorrow, no one would immediately come find you and send you home, right?

KALPITA:
 Not really. It depends on your visa type.
 Some green card schemes still have checks, and maybe police follow up—if they have time.
 But in Copenhagen, police are everywhere. If you’re driving or doing anything official, they’ll eventually check your paperwork. So you will get caught—maybe not today, but soon.

NARCIS:
 As far as I know, if your residence permit expires, you still retain access to services—like driving, studying, going to the doctor—because the system doesn’t flag it. That’s why the government now wants to update the CPR system to flag expired legal stay.

KALPITA:
 But I’ve never been asked about my permit status—by anyone.

NARCIS:
 Exactly. And CPR currently doesn’t track visa status—it just holds personal info.
 That’s why the CPR and permit systems need to be connected.

KALPITA:
 It does feel a bit targeted, doesn’t it?
 EU citizens don’t have to worry about this, but people from outside the EU—especially those trying to find work or start a life here—get caught in this web.
 It really feels like the law is being designed to stop certain people from settling long-term. It’s biased.

NARCIS:
 One part that really concerns me is the idea that people without legal stay will no longer be able to register businesses.
 That could affect people outside Denmark too. Right now, you don’t need to live here to register a company in Denmark.

KALPITA:
 Yeah, but honestly, why would anyone want to start a business in Denmark? The taxes are brutal!

NARCIS:
 Sure, but if you’re selling B2B, it helps to say you’re a registered Danish business. That gives you credibility and allows you to charge higher prices.
 Even if the product comes from somewhere else—like Portugal—it gives legitimacy.
 And if you don’t withdraw money from the company, the taxes aren’t that bad.

Anyway, this leads into our second topic.
 If you’re starting a business in Denmark, you might want to protect your logo, brand, or product idea.
 Good news—Denmark has launched a new support scheme called IP Fast Track, which offers free help with registering trademarks or designs.

This is part of a broader push to help small entrepreneurs. Denmark is already known for being a good place to start a business, and this continues in that direction.
 Yes, we have huge pharma companies, but it’s the small and medium businesses that keep the economy alive.

KALPITA:
 I love this initiative.
 It’s hard enough to navigate taxes, let alone understand how to protect your ideas.
 Creative people—artists, designers, makers—need this protection.
 I remember a ceramist whose work was copied by a big company. They sold his design on a large scale and made tons of money off of it—blatantly.
 So yes, protecting intellectual property is necessary.

It also encourages innovation and keeps ideas in Denmark. Even if one person’s business doesn’t succeed, someone else can build on it.
 And it ties back to our first topic too—supporting immigrants and newcomers who want to start something here.
 This kind of support could be a game changer.

NARCIS:
 Right. A lot of companies today are built on the founder’s reputation—maybe they wrote a book or went viral on social media—and that reputation becomes the brand.
 So now the government sees value in brand names, but it’s hard to protect them. This support scheme is a big step.

I hope it doesn’t stop here.
 It’s great to protect ideas—but we also need ways to generate ideas.
 A lot of internationals I meet just want to create a job for themselves, not take big risks. That’s understandable, but I hope the government starts thinking about how to encourage real innovation too.
 Kalpita, what would it take for you to become an entrepreneur?

KALPITA:
 First, I’d have to be brave enough to take the leap!
 But there are private organizations in Denmark that support and mentor new entrepreneurs, especially women.
 They help you grow your idea, find funding, and build your business.

But government support would legitimize it more. It makes info easier to find.
 Private support exists, but when the state gets involved, it becomes more accessible and visible.

Right now, Denmark loses entrepreneurs to countries like the US.
 Many people with good ideas end up registering their patents in the US for more exposure.
 We’re trying to build independence in Europe—so Denmark needs to step up and keep those ideas here.

NARCIS:
 Exactly. I think the government should let job seekers test a business idea during their unemployment period.
 They’d have the same time limit as a job search, but they could try launching a company instead.
 I bet this would be more successful than many other programs.

But we’re low on time—let’s move to our third and final topic.

More than 40,000 children in Denmark have a parent on social welfare (kontanthjælp).
 As you can imagine, many can’t afford sports clubs or after-school activities.
 So the government is allocating 41 million kroner through six NGOs to help these kids participate in community life.

When kids can’t afford activities, they often just hang out or stay home on their phones. Best case. Worst case—they fall into the wrong crowd.
 I personally think every child should have the right to join a sports club.

Kalpita, would you support making that a right?

KALPITA:
 Absolutely.
 Playing sports and being with peers is so important—physically, mentally, socially.
 Teamwork, competition, learning to win and lose—these are life skills.
 It builds better people and better leaders.

NARCIS:
 Would you support subsidizing all sports clubs?

KALPITA:
 Yes, 100%.
 Whether it’s sports or mental health, anything related to kids’ well-being should be subsidized.
 It’s an investment in the future, and I’d say—take my money!

NARCIS:
 If you’re a parent in this situation, check this week’s newsletter.
 Six organizations are involved—including Red Cross and Save the Children (Red Barnet).
 See what support they offer. These programs are meant to help your child get the same experiences as their classmates.

This is how Denmark works: if you’re in a tough spot, use the support available.
 With that, I think we’ve covered all three topics—went a bit over the 30-minute mark, but we did it.

Thank you, Kalpita. I look forward to the next episode with you!

KALPITA:
 Yes.

NARCIS:
 And to our next Last Week in Denmark episode. It was a pleasure. Until next time.

KALPITA:
 Thank—

NARCIS:
 —You.