About us

The Danish Return Agency

The Danish Return Agency organisation has ten offices.

We work in seven different locations but cooperate closely on our common mission.

The Danish Return Agency also works with the department of the Ministry of Immigration and Integration and the other agencies under the ministry, other ministries, authorities and stakeholders in Denmark and abroad.

Our staff of 250 come from a variety of educational backgrounds, and we work with a broad range of tasks rooted in repatriation, appeals processing and control management. Read more about our work and core tasks below.

Our work

Returning foreign nationals without legal residence in Denmark

It is the individual’s personal responsibility to leave Denmark if they do not have or no longer have legal residence in the country. If such foreign nationals do not leave of their own accord, we are responsible for ensuring their departure. We can both help a person if they personally want to leave and forcibly return the person if necessary.

Duties imposed on foreign nationals who do not leave

Foreign nationals staying in Denmark who are required to leave may be compelled to reside at a certain accommodation facility. They may also be required to report to the authorities at certain times. The Danish Return Agency is responsible for making these decisions.

Advice, help and support for leaving Denmark

The Danish Return Agency advises and helps foreign nationals who have been ordered to leave Denmark. We can also provide financial support.

The Danish National ID Centre

The Danish National ID-Centre (NIDC) is an independent centre of excellence charged with strengthening security and control efforts in the immigration field. Organisationally, the NIDC is part of the Danish Return Agency, but performs its functions independently of the rest of the Agency.

Board secretariats

We are the secretariat for the Immigration Appeals Board and the Refugee Appeals Board. These independent quasi-judicial boards make decisions in a range of immigration appeals cases.

The organisational structure of the Danish Return Agency

Claes Nilas

The Director General of the Danish Return Agency is Mr. Claes Nilas.

Louise Vinther Torrendrup

The Deputy Director General of the Danish Return Agency is Ms. Louise Vinther Torrendrup.

Marie Wessel

The Deputy Director General of the Danish Return Agency is Ms. Marie Wessel.

You can download the English version of the Danish Return Agency’s organisation chart here (PDF).

Contracts

Every year, the Danish Return Agency enters into a target and performance plan with the Ministry of Immigration and Integration. The contract contains selected measurable activities in the core areas on which the Agency will focus its work in the year concerned.

You can read the Danish Return Agency’s target and performance plan here (PDF, in Danish).

The Director General of the Agency receives performance pay

Performance pay is paid for exceptional achievement based on the Permanent Secretary’s assessment of the general performance of the Director General and the acting Deputy Director General, respectively, over the year – including achievement of the targets set in the Agency’s target and performance plan.

In 2021 this pay totalled DKK 70,000.

The Danish Return Agency is part of a group

- here are the others

The Ministry of Immigration and Integration (UIM)

The Ministry of Immigration and Integration advises and assists the minister for immigration and integration and the government in office at any time. The ministry serves the minister and handles the general planning and administration of immigration and integration legislation.

Styrelsen for International Rekruttering og Integration's krone

The Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI)

The Agency for International Recruitment and Integration processes cases regarding residence and work permits for foreign nationals and issues residence documents to EU/EEA nationals. SIRI is also responsible for supporting local authority initiatives to promote integration and prevent extremism.

The Danish Immigration Service (US)

The service processes cases about asylum, family reunification, tourist visas, permanent residence permits, etc. The service is responsible for finding accommodation for asylum seekers and compiling immigration statistics.