Increasing Number of University Graduates Amongst Refugee and Migrant Descendants in Denmark

According to the Ministry, in contrast, those of Danish origin choose less and less to follow a vocational education, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.

“Among the 25 to 39-year-olds with roots in so-called MENAPT countries (a Danish category comprising the Middle Eastern and North African countries and Turkey), 48 per cent of men and 71 per cent of women have completed higher or vocational education,” a statement issued by the European Commission reads.

Between this group and ethnic Danes of the same age, there is a gap since the percentage of Danes graduating from university is 73 per cent for men and 81 per cent for women. However, during the last decade, the gap has narrowed significantly.

In general, there is a growing number of youngsters graduating from university in Denmark, but the growth has been much more significant for young people with refugee or migrant backgrounds.

“First-generation refugees and migrants from non-western countries tend to be less educated than the native Danish population, which means that many second-generation refugees and migrants are able to jump to a much higher socio-economic level than the one in which they were raised – again, this holds particularly true for women,” the statement also explains.

Previously, the Danish government announced a new positive list for highly educated and a positive list for skilled workers from other countries to cope with the labor shortage.

In this regard, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) has revealed that the new Positive Lists came into force on July 1 and will also remain in force until December 31.

These new positive lists have been developed by SIRI based on the Labor Market Balance from the Labor Market and Recruitment Agency (STAR) which aims to help the country combat the shortage of qualified professionals.

SIRI also states that the Positive List for Persons with Higher Education includes a total of 45 job titles and the Positive List for Skilled Jobs includes 46 job titles.

Otherwise, the Positive List means a list of professions that are experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals in Denmark. In this regard, those who have been offered a job included in the Positive List have the right to apply for a Danish residence and work permit based on the positive list scheme.