The UK Home Secretary is gearing up to unveil significant reforms to the immigration and asylum system later this month, drawing inspiration from Denmark, renowned for its stringent measures in Europe. BBC reports indicate that Shabana Mahmood will incorporate elements of Denmark's policy, particularly their restrictive family reunion measures and the temporary stay framework for refugees.
Mahmood aims to diminish the allure of migrating to the UK by imposing stricter controls and facilitating the deportation of those without valid resident status. Despite these goals, there is resistance within her party. Some Labour MPs argue that Denmark's model is excessively severe and resonates with far-right ideologies.
At the Labour conference held in September, Mahmood committed to taking decisive actions to regain control over Britainâs borders. She praises Denmark for reducing successful asylum applications to their lowest level in 40 years, save for the 2020 pandemic anomaly. To this end, senior Home Office officials were sent to Copenhagen to analyze potential lessons applicable to the UK.
In Denmark, refugees escaping personal persecution by a foreign government can receive protection, albeit on a temporary basis. Once the Danish government deems their home nations safe, refugees can be returned. Furthermore, the road to permanent settlement in Denmark now requires a longer stay, employment, and other stringent criteria.
The UK's Home Office is particularly interested in Denmark's provisions for family reunifications. Danish regulations state that both the refugee and their partner need to be 24 or older, financially independent, and must pass a language test. Additionally, refugees in areas labeled as "parallel societies"âinhabited predominantly by non-Western residentsâare barred from family reunions. This controversial measure aims at improving integration but is criticized as ethnically discriminatory.
The UK suspended new Refugee Family Reunion applications last month, pending the introduction of new regulations. Previously, dependent family members could join their relatives in the UK without facing income or English-language barriers obligatory for other categories of migrants. Although Mahmood is expected to employ fewer restrictions than Denmark, her new rules likely lean towards a similarly restrictive approach.
Rasmus Stoklund, Denmark's Minister for Immigration and Integration from the Social Democrats, concurred on the necessity of rigorous laws to facilitate the return of refugees and added that the nation's most significant hurdle remains expelling foreign offenders.