Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is to announce huge shake-up of immigration system based on Denmark’s ‘tough’ rules that sees refugees sent home to war zones and block on arrivals bringing over family

The Home Secretary is set to announce a major change to the UK’s immigration system, inspired by tougher rules in Denmark.

Shabana Mahmood is reportedly considering plans to make it easier to remove people from the UK, while also reducing incentives for people wanting to move here.

He was allegedly inspired by the Danish immigration system, which has stricter rules on family reunification and how long refugees can stay in the country.

In Denmark, under the Labor Party’s sister party, the Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the number of successful asylum applications has seen a steep decline to the lowest level in 40 years, except for 2020.

Since coming to power in 2019, Frederiksen has made tackling uncontrolled migration a key priority and has pledged to pursue a ‘zero refugee’ policy, which involves actively discouraging people from coming to the country.

Keir Starmer signaled the government would take a tougher stance on immigration when he was appointed Mahmood was appointed Home Affairs Minister, replacing Yvette Cooper during a cabinet reshuffle in September.

Mahmood is seen as a hardline on immigration and has vowed to “do whatever it takes” to regain control of Britain’s borders. And his further move towards tougher rules in the UK is likely to trigger a backlash from left-leaning Labor MPs.

Some have already expressed concern about taking inspiration from the Danish system, with one claiming its rules were ‘harsh’ and contained echoes of the far right.

But others have argued that, as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK continues to grow in popularity, a failure to tackle small boat crossings and take a tougher stance on immigration will result in the party being ‘destroyed’ at the next general election.

People thought to be immigrants boarded a small boat in Gravelines, France, on Friday.

But while Denmark’s rules remain controversial, no one can deny its success, with asylum applications falling by almost 90 percent in the last decade.

Last year this number fell to 2,333, while the total in the UK reached 108,138.

This marks a major shift from Denmark’s 2015 migration crisis, when annual asylum requests reached 21,316 in a country of just six million people.

Some policies in the country have been accused of being discriminatory, while others appear to have deliberately created a hostile environment for immigrants.

Asylum seekers who are denied the right to stay are also deprived of benefits. Food is served three times a day in two deportation camps in the country

They are sent to camps to await removal by the Danish Repatriation Agency, which receives extra funding for the results.

Migrants are also given financial incentives to leave and given £4,500 if they return home voluntarily.

And if a migrant’s country of origin is deemed ‘safe’, such as Syria after the recent overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, even a successful asylum seeker could lose their residence in Denmark and face deportation back home.

According to the BBC, senior Home Office officials visited Copenhagen last month to examine what lessons could be learned from immigration systems.

They are said to be particularly interested in how Denmark restricts family reunification, which is often a major incentive to seek asylum.

In September, the UK Government announced that new applications for the existing refugee family reunification route would be suspended while it worked out the new rules.

The family reunification visa route allows people receiving asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK to apply to bring their immediate family to join them.

Unlike other migrants applying for asylum, they will not have to meet the income and English language tests required to remain in the UK.

It is thought Mahmood will not go as far as Denmark if he introduces reforms to the ways families come together, but it is believed the measures will be more restrictive.

Danish Minister of Immigration and Integration Rasmus Stoklund said that taking strict measures against immigration and implementing stricter integration rules are key to preserving the nature of Danish society.

He told the BBC: ‘We expect people who come here to participate and contribute positively, if they don’t they are not welcome.’

Danish Minister of Immigration and Integration Rasmus Stoklund

The latest poll in Denmark shows the Social Democrats remain by far the most popular party, with 22.9 percent of the vote; This leaves him approximately 10 points ahead of his second biggest rival.

By contrast, the Danish People’s Party, often described as far-right, saw its vote share fall to just 4.4 percent, down from 21.1 percent a decade ago.