Denmark is often ranked as one of many happiest international locations on the planet – with a comfortable worldwide popularity as the house of hygge and Lego, the idealistic fictional prime minister Birgitte Nyborg in Borgen and the woolly jumpers of TV detective Sarah Lund.
However that heat doesn’t lengthen to asylum seekers – and lately the nation has developed among the hardest unlawful migration insurance policies in Europe, regardless of being led for six years by a centre-left politician.
PM Mette Frederiksen’s “zero refugees” coverage is not only common – it has enabled her to efficiently face down her right-wing opponents.
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Copenhagen. iStock file pic
The variety of profitable asylum claims in Denmark has fallen to a 40-year low – and 95% of failed claimants are deported.
Going through a rampant Reform UK and plummeting approval rankings amid explosive public anger over small boat crossings and asylum lodges, it is no marvel Sir Keir Starmer and his staff are determined to be taught from their instance.
Sir Keir and Ms Frederiksen are carefully aligned on problems with defence and safety – standing facet by facet at conferences of the Coalition of the Keen and united of their staunch help for Ukraine.
Now the UK – like many different European international locations – is explicitly modelling itself on the Danish method to migration too.
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Sir Keir Starmer and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen. Reuters file pic
I perceive that, since she was appointed two months in the past, new House Secretary Shabana Mahmood has been Denmark’s insurance policies throughout the board – however there’s explicit curiosity of their tight restrictions on household reunification, and using non permanent visas for profitable asylum seekers (which develop into invalid if their residence international locations are thought to be secure to return to).
House Workplace officers not too long ago travelled to Copenhagen to be taught from their Danish counterparts forward of a significant shake-up of the asylum system later this month.
The Sunday Occasions experiences this might see profitable asylum seekers pressured to repay the prices of their lodging and advantages – and they’re going to solely be accepted in the event that they communicate a excessive commonplace of English and don’t have any legal report.
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Reuters file pic
This give attention to the Danish mannequin has been enthusiastically welcomed by Crimson Wall MPs like Jo White from Bassetlaw.
“We came into government in 2024 saying that we’re going to be tackling this issue head on and that’s what I promised my constituents,” she informed me.
“We have seen the growth of Reform who are solely focused on this. And if we are going to fill the space where we can actually deliver on our priorities, we have to tackle the small boats and the asylum system head on.
“Denmark is seen as one of many hardest international locations in Europe for coping with asylum claims. And what’s much more fascinating is that it is a democratic socialist management. They needed to deal with this concern after they got here into energy as a result of the combat was with the far proper who had been main on this concern, and so they recognised that they needed to handle the method so as to have the ability to give attention to delivering their insurance policies.”
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House Secretary Shabana Mahmood. PA file pic
It is a difficulty which more and more splits the social gathering. Many on the left are deeply alarmed in regards to the UK following a extra draconian Danish path – with MPs like Nadia Whittome and Clive Lewis describing their concepts as “hardcore”, “dangerous”, “far right” and in some instances “racist”.
A number of the most controversial insurance policies embody confiscating priceless jewelry from migrants crossing the border and demolishing house blocks the place greater than 50% of residents are of what they outline as “non-Western” backgrounds.
It appears vanishingly unlikely these extra excessive concepts will likely be on the agenda for Ms Mahmood and her staff.
However she’s a troublesome operator. What’s hanging in regards to the week’s revelations about Denmark is how little remark there’s been from both Reform UK or the Conservatives.
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Reform UK chief Nigel Farage. PA file pic
Sure, it is recess. However there’s additionally an uncomfortable feeling that the right-wing events completely agree with the house secretary’s sturdy method.
If she’s profitable in bringing down the numbers (and that is an enormous if), Reform’s key assaults on the federal government could be largely neutralised.
Some specialists and asylum charities argue the Danish method would fail to translate to the UK – with determined refugees drawn to Britain as a result of they communicate English and have current networks of household and buddies right here.
Steve Smith of Take care of Calais mentioned: “The deterrence isn’t going to work, because you’re dealing with people who are fleeing something far worse.
“These are determined folks and attempting to place in determined measures is not going to work, as a result of these determined measures can by no means be as determined.”
But Ms Mahmood has promised to do “no matter it takes” to get a grip on the difficulty, and it appears she’s ready to take a look at more and more radical options to take action.
