If you’ve never received an 11-page letter essentially saying “Leave the country in 30 days,” here is a look at what that reality looks like.
After leaving my role at Oticon A/S, I didn’t wait for a miracle. I knew that in the Danish system, “hope” is not a legal status. I canceled my lease, sold my belongings, and prepared for the 16th of February—my deadline to exit the EU.
To help others understand the mechanics of a revoked permit, here is a summary of the restrictions and the cold reality of the official responses to my case.
🚫 The “Lockdown” (What I can no longer do)
When the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) revokes your status, you become a ghost in the system overnight:
- No Right to Reside or Work: My permit lapsed the moment my residence was revoked.
- The Schengen Deadline: I must exit the entire Schengen Area by Feb 16, 2026. Failure means a 2-year entry ban.
- The Internal Lock: I am prohibited from submitting new applications for work or study from within Denmark. I must be “out” to even try to get back “in.”
- No “Appeal” Buffer: Filing an appeal does NOT grant the right to stay. You appeal from the outside.
- Language Barrier: The authorities refused to provide an English translation of this life-altering decision. You are forced to use DeepL to understand your own deportation terms.
⚖️ The Dialogue of the Deaf: My Arguments vs. Responses
I tried to appeal to logic and human circumstances. Here is how the Danish bureaucracy countered:
| My Argument | The Authorities’ Response |
|---|---|
| Integration: I’ve lived here for 3.5 years, speak the language, and have strong social ties. | 3.5 years is not enough to create a “particularly burdensome” attachment. |
| Health: My diagnosis of depression caused by the workplace and this situation. | These are “common ailments” that can be treated in your home country. |
| Political Risks: Returning to Russia is not an option due to my opposition and my background in microelectronics. | Asylum-related risks cannot be used to justify a work permit. |
The Bigger Picture: A Strategic Mistake?
It seems Europe—or at least Denmark—no longer needs engineers. Specifically microelectronics engineers.
People like me play by the rules: we learn the language, pay enormous taxes, integrate into society, and have every desire to continue contributing. Yet, the system pushes us out with surgical precision.
Seeing these political decisions, I can’t help but wonder: Are you truly comfortable pushing specialists like me back? Back to a place where my expertise in microelectronics might be funneled into building fiber-optic drones and weaponry? If that is the choice the European authorities are making, then fine. Message received. Lesson learned.
The “European magnet” for talent isn’t just losing its pull—it’s actively repelling the very people it claims to want.
What’s next?
I am leaving. On February 16, I close this chapter. If you are an engineer considering relocation to Denmark, read the fine print. Your “stability” is one HR decision away from an 11-page letter.