Bødskov Moves Toward Sending More Ukrainians to Jutland Municipalities

Four Jutland municipalities could receive more Ukrainian refugees after their mayors met Immigration and Integration Minister Morten Bødskov. The meeting followed criticism from five mayors who said their municipalities were willing to take more people from Ukraine.

Skive, Vesthimmerland, Lemvig, Brønderslev and Frederikshavn had told Jyllands-Posten that they wanted to receive additional refugees. The municipalities said Ukrainian newcomers had been good arrivals and brought work ethic to areas facing labor shortages. Skive could not attend Monday’s meeting because of budget negotiations, while the other four municipalities were represented.

Bødskov said the meeting was “very positive” because the mayors showed a clear willingness to contribute and accept more Ukrainians. He said the government and municipalities would now work to provide a clearer overview of what additional arrivals would mean for local authorities and how the financing would work.

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It was a very positive meeting I had with the mayors.

Since Ukrainian refugees began arriving in Denmark after the war started in 2022, municipalities have been able to join a voluntary distribution arrangement if they wanted to take more people. The mayors said that option had not been sufficiently transparent. Bødskov said the government would help clarify the system and create a firmer framework for voluntary redistribution.

The minister said the meeting covered specific numbers of refugees, but he would not make them public yet. He also indicated that an effect could be seen soon, without giving a precise timetable.

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We will work together with the municipalities to get a firmer grip on the option that exists today, where municipalities can voluntarily distribute people among themselves.