Risk of persecution and abuse
When the Danish authorities assess whether or not a person can obtain asylum in Denmark, the information given by the applicant is compared with background information about the applicant’s country of origin. On this basis, the authorities conclude what would happen if the applicant were to return to the country of origin. It is not sufficient that the applicant is afraid of returning. The decisive factor is whether or not there are weighty reasons to believe that an applicant is in danger of persecution and/or abuse from the authorities or from private groups or individuals that the authorities cannot or will not provide protection against.

What is persecution?
When the Danish authorities assess whether or not you are at risk of persecution in your country of origin they will examine if you were abused before fleeing the country. The intensity, character and frequency of such abuse will be assessed to find out whether the abuse was an isolated incident or systematic in nature. It is also an important factor to assess whether there is a real risk that the abuse will continue if you return to the country of origin.

General discrimination and harassment on its own is not enough to be granted asylum, although it can create most difficult living conditions for the individual.

Who are the applicant’s persecutors?
Persecution with characteristics relevant to asylum can be exerted by both authorities and private individuals in the country of origin. In cases where the persecutor is a private individual, the Danish authorities will assess whether the authorities in the country in question can and will provide protection against the abuse.

If the authorities in the country of origin are not able to protect against persecution, or if it is assessed that they lack the will to do so, this can be reason for obtaining asylum in Denmark.