1. f-status and de facto status are the same thing (Danish Refugee Council 14 June 1993; Danish Embassy 13 July 1993).

2. A representative of the Embassy of Denmark in Ottawa contacted the Directorate of Aliens in Copenhagen and was told that persons with f-status and convention refugees are granted status for a five year period after which time they can re-apply for status for an indeterminate period of time (12 July 1993). This was corroborated by a representative from the Danish Refugee Council (14 July 1993). Another representative from the Danish Refugee Council stated that persons with f-status are afforded the same rights as convention refugees (including the right to apply for family reunification), except that they receive an alien's passport instead of a convention passport and are therefore required to obtain visas to visit any country other than the Nordic countries (14 June 1993).

3. As noted above, the holders of an alien's passport are required by countries other than the Nordic countries to have a full visa. Denmark does not require f-status holders to have any other document than the alien's passport to enter or exit Denmark (Ibid.).

4. According to representatives of both the Embassy and the Refugee Council, the statement means that Denmark affords this status to a certain group of people of its own accord and since this is a unilateral action on the part of Denmark it only has meaning in Denmark. Persons with f-status are not protected by the convention outside of Denmark and this status is not recognized by other countries (14 June 1993; 12 July 1993).

5. A person with de facto status is free to leave and enter Denmark at any time (Danish Refugee Council 14 June 1993). When an f-status passport is issued, it is automatically stamped to indicate that it is not valid for the person's home country and that it allows for multiple entry and exit from Denmark (Danish Refugee Council 15 June 1993).

The only way to lose de facto status is to either obtain protection from another country or return to and take up residence in one's home country (Ibid.). The Embassy representative stated that f-status is given for a period of five years, after which it is renewable (12 July 1993).

If the f-status passport expires while the holder is outside Denmark, he or she can obtain a new one at any Danish embassy (Danish Refugee Council 14 June 1993). Upon re-entering Denmark, the person has the same protection as a convention refugee and the same rights as Danish citizens with the exception of the right to participate in national elections or to be drafted into the military (Ibid.).

According to Article 17, paragraph 3 of the Aliens Act, the only way the residence permit of an f-status person can lapse is if the person has either resettled in his or her home country or received the protection of another country (Gammeltoft-Hansen 1985).

Please see the attached Response to Information Request DNK12966 and its attachments, which contain additional information which may be of interest to you.

Additional or corroborative information on the above is currently unavailable to the DIRB.

Danish Refugee Council, Copenhagen. 14 June 1993. Telephone interview with representative.

. 15 June 1993. Telephone interview with representative.

. 14 July 1993. Telephone interview with representative.

Embassy of Denmark, Ottawa. 12 July 1993. Telephone interview with representative.

Gammeltoft-Hansen, Hans. 1985. The Status of Refugees in Denmark (International Institute of Humanitarian Law Collection of Publications - 1). Sanremo: Villa Nobel.

Documentation, Information and Research Branch (DIRB), Ottawa. 3 February 1993. Response to Information Request DNK12966.