Ashwini Shastri arrived in Denmark as an accompanying spouse, a status many internationals will recognise. She is an Indian national, but she and her family have lived abroad elsewhere before.
Today, she is actively advocating for representation of internationals at the local political level as Chairman of the Billund International Council.
The Danish Dispatch met with Shastri at a café in Billund Centret to hear more about the work of the Council and how it was established.
Shastri is optimistic and ambitious: “In the next couple of years I hope we have something people can see, something other municipalities can look at and say: they made it, and it works.”
Journey through Billund International
The journey for Shastri started through Billund International, a small local list for the 2025 municipal election in Billund.
Here, she stood as a candidate for the party that advocated for “building a Billund where every resident, regardless of origin, shapes our shared future”.
To The Danish Dispatch, Shastri described how “it started organically. One of our friends posted on Facebook that you can be part of democracy.
“When we signed up we didn’t know what came next. Politics in our countries is totally different from here. As we got into the system we realised it is an open-door policy.
“It is not something to be afraid of, or to think twice about. It’s a democracy; why not go, raise a problem, and find a solution?”
Billund International took 215 votes, not enough for a seat on the council. However, that does not bother Shastri: “Our agenda was never to win the election. We wanted a voice in the council for internationals: us or anybody else, it didn’t matter.
“We needed one person. Suddenly every party was saying they were the voice for internationals.”
Setting up the Council
Shastri and Billund International built a relationship with the Mayor of the municipality, Stephanie Storbank from the Venstre party, during the election, “We met the mayor and talked about the problems.
“She also agreed that, whatever the election result, something would happen for internationals. At the time, we were not sure what.”
The Mayor kept her word and, in June 2026, the municipality announced it was setting up a Council that would work to ensure internationals are represented and considered in local decisions.
The Council, called the Billund International Council, would include nine members: Shastri herself, representatives from other local councils, representatives from business interests, and two members of the municipal council.
At the first meeting, the Council unanimously elected Shastri as its Chairman and set out how it would operate.
On her election as Chairman and the work of the Council, Shastri said, “The decision was: if you have that passion, then you lead, and we will follow what is needed. We meet once a quarter, and there is an evaluation next December of what we have done.”
The challenges Shastri wants to tackle
When asked about some of the challenges that Shastri wants to see the new Council tackle, she said, “I would like measurable success: a physical place, or ongoing work for internationals.
“That could be something in the language schools, or something for accompanying spouses, which I see as a major problem.
“Skilled people should be able to contribute to society, not only sit as labour that is not used. Support does not have to be financial. It can be as simple as connecting people with the right persons and the right organisations.
“In the next couple of years I hope we have something people can see, something other municipalities can look at and say: they made it, and it works. It has to be ongoing. It cannot stop.
“People keep arriving, and other nationalities have different challenges. For me English is the common language. For someone else it is not. How do we communicate then? I want tangible success that is visible.”
Just getting started
The Council has only held its first meeting so far. The next meeting will see it considering agendas for future work.
However, Shastri is already optimistic and notes that for her and the international community in Billund, “The existence of the Council is already a big thing for citizens and for the municipality, because they can hear from us whenever they want. It is simply there.”
