I-SPHERE and CHIH February Seminar – Homelessness and Migration in Denmark and Germany

Migration Meets Homelessness

In Denmark and Germany, the intersection of migration and homelessness has sharpened in recent years. Denmark, which has pursued one of Europe's strictest immigration regimes since the mid-2010s, saw asylum claims drop to just four per 10,000 residents in 2024, yet migrants—especially EU citizens from poorer member states—make up around one-third of Copenhagen's homeless population. These individuals often arrive seeking work but end up unregistered in the Danish system, lacking the CPR number required for formal housing, banking, or full welfare access.

Germany, meanwhile, has moved to implement the EU's revamped Common European Asylum System (CEAS) in 2026, including faster border rejections and expanded deportation powers. Asylum arrivals fell significantly in 2025, but rejected applicants and those with temporary statuses face barriers to integration, contributing to visible homelessness in cities like Berlin and Bremen. Both nations grapple with housing shortages that exacerbate the problem: Denmark's high construction costs and Germany's ongoing refugee housing strains limit affordable options.

Recent developments add urgency. Denmark introduced stricter immigration rules in January 2026, raising fees and salary thresholds while planning tougher deportations that may challenge European human rights interpretations. Germany extended border checks into late 2026 and suspended certain family reunifications, reflecting a broader European trend toward restriction. These policies aim to deter irregular migration but risk pushing vulnerable migrants deeper into precarity, as limited access to benefits or legal work increases rough sleeping and reliance on underfunded charities.

Non-obvious tensions emerge here. While overall asylum numbers decline—thanks partly to external factors like fewer conflicts driving flows—the composition of homelessness shifts toward migrants who fall through cracks in welfare and housing systems designed for nationals. In Denmark, pre-pandemic criminalisation of begging and rough sleeping targeted foreign homeless populations, yet demand on services persists. In Germany, deportations to countries like Afghanistan resumed in 2025, but many remain in limbo, unable to return or integrate fully. Trade-offs are stark: tighter controls may stabilise public sentiment and reduce inflows, but they heighten humanitarian risks and long-term fiscal burdens from untreated health issues or emergency interventions among the excluded.

The political landscape amplifies the moment. Denmark's centre-left government pushes deportations ahead of elections, while Germany's coalition doubles down on restrictions. Both reflect a European pivot where migration control trumps expansive inclusion, even as evidence shows migration-linked homelessness demands nuanced, cross-border responses rather than purely national clampdowns.