Why does UK government want to copy Denmark’s immigration system? | Immigration and asylum
The UK government is expected to make changes to the country’s immigration rules, modeled on the controversial system used in Denmark, which is seen as one of the strictest in Europe.
Why does the UK government want to change the immigration system?
Concerns about immigration have risen steadily over the past five years, driven in part by the number of migrants arriving in Britain via small boat crossings. A recent YouGov poll found that voters are more worried about immigration than the state of the economy.
The Labor government also faces serious challenges from Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, which is ahead in the polls. The reform promises to radically overhaul the immigration system if it comes to power, specifically removing the right of immigrants to qualify for permanent settlement in the UK after five years.
Who is granted asylum in Denmark?
Excluding data from 2020, when significant travel restrictions were imposed due to the pandemic, the number of people granted asylum in Denmark is at its lowest level in 40 years.
People who are personally targeted by foreign regimes are normally granted protection by Denmark, but this is usually on an ad hoc basis; The government reserves the right to return the asylum seeker to his or her home country when deemed safe.
For example, in 2022, the Danish government told approximately 1,200 refugees from Damascus, Syria, that they would be sent back after determining there was no longer a risk to them in the area. This decision contradicted the positions taken by the UN and the EU.
Can refugees bring family members to Denmark?
This is allowed under certain conditions, but the rules are very strict. Refugees normally need to show that they cannot live safely with their spouse or children in another country.
There are various criteria that a refugee must meet before he or she can bring their partner to Denmark, and the government says these are partly designed to protect against forced marriages. Both must be at least 24 years old and have passed the Danish language test. The refugee in Denmark must not have requested assistance for three years and must be able to provide financial guarantee.
Why have Denmark’s immigration rules sparked controversy?
Some think that Danish laws punish people from certain ethnic groups. Refugees living in public housing designated as “parallel societies”, where more than half of the population comes from “non-western” backgrounds, cannot benefit from family reunification.
The law also gives the state the power to demolish apartment blocks on these sites. Although the Danish government says this is designed to promote integration, an EU official recently raised concerns about potential discrimination.
How is the Danish approach viewed by the Labor left?
Although Denmark’s immigration policies were designed by centre-left Social Democrats and are seen as key to the party maintaining power, it has faced fierce criticism from the left of the British Labor Party.
Norwich South MP Clive Lewis said the Social Democrats “espouse many of what we might call far-right views”. Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome said copying the Danish system would be a “moral, political and electoral dead end”.
Do any Labor MPs support the plans?
Some Labor MPs, particularly those sitting in “red wall” seats where support for Reform is strong, have welcomed the prospect of moving closer to the Danish model. Bassetlaw MP Jo White, who chairs the Red Wall Group, said the party would be “destroyed” by Reform if it did not tighten immigration rules. Stoke-on-Trent MP Gareth Snell said the plans were “worth exploring” and that his constituents found the current system “inherently unfair”.
