The Home Secretary is expected to unveil a significant overhaul of the nation’s immigration and asylum procedures later this month, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Shabana Mahmood is reportedly drawing inspiration from the Danish system, recognized as one of the most stringent in Europe, for some of her proposed measures.
It is understood that officials have been examining Denmark’s stricter regulations concerning family reunification and the practice of granting most refugees only temporary residency.
Mahmood aims to diminish the incentives that attract individuals to the UK, while simultaneously streamlining the process of deporting those without the legal right to remain.
However, adopting the Danish model has faced opposition from within her own party, with one Labour MP on the left wing characterizing it as excessively “hardcore” and reminiscent of far-right ideologies.
During the Labour conference in September, Mahmood pledged to take “whatever steps are necessary” to regain control of Britain’s borders.
She has expressed admiration for Denmark’s success in reducing asylum claim approvals to a 40-year low, with the exception of 2020, which was impacted by pandemic-related travel restrictions.
Sources have confirmed to the BBC that senior Home Office officials were dispatched to Copenhagen last month to assess potential adaptations for the UK.
In Denmark, refugees who have been personally targeted by a foreign regime are likely to be granted protection.
However, the majority of individuals who are successfully granted asylum after fleeing conflicts are now permitted to reside in the country only on a temporary basis.
They can be returned when the Danish government deems their home country safe.
For those who have resided in Denmark for an extended period, the duration required to obtain settlement rights has been extended, and additional conditions, such as full-time employment, have been imposed.
UK Home Office officials have also expressed interest in Denmark’s stricter regulations regarding family reunions.
If a refugee has been granted residency rights in Denmark, both the refugee and their partner applying to join them in the country must be at least 24 years of age.
The Danish government states that this requirement is intended to prevent forced marriages.
The partner residing in Denmark must not have claimed benefits for three years, must provide a financial guarantee, and both partners are required to pass a Danish language test.
Refugees residing in housing estates designated as “parallel societies”—defined as areas where more than 50% of residents are from what the Danish government considers to be “non-Western” backgrounds—are not eligible for family reunification.
This law, which also permits the state to sell or demolish apartment blocks that fall under the “parallel societies” designation, has sparked controversy. The Danish government asserts that its aim is to enhance integration, while a senior adviser to the EU’s top court described it earlier this year as discriminatory based on ethnic origin.
In September, the UK Home Office suspended new applications under the Refugee Family Reunion scheme pending the drafting of new regulations.
Under the pre-September scheme, spouses, partners, and dependents under the age of 18 were permitted to enter the UK without meeting the income and English-language proficiency requirements that apply to other migrants.
While Mahmood is unlikely to replicate Denmark’s approach entirely when announcing the UK’s revised family reunion rules, it appears probable that she will implement measures along a more restrictive path.
Last week, the BBC also traveled to Denmark to examine the functioning of its immigration system.
Mahmood’s counterpart, Rasmus Stoklund, Denmark’s Minister for Immigration and Integration, is a member of the Social Democrats, Labour’s sister party.
He stated: “We have tightened our laws in numerous ways.
“We are returning more people to their home countries. We have made family reunification quite difficult in Denmark.
“You will be expelled more readily if you commit crimes. And we have implemented various programs to assist people in returning home voluntarily.”
There is no indication that the UK government would follow Denmark’s example of offering substantial sums—up to the equivalent of £24,000—for asylum seekers to return to their country of origin, including contributing to the cost of their children’s education.
However, the BBC understands that some of what Stoklund outlined is being closely examined by the Home Office.
According to Stoklund, stricter immigration and integration policies are aimed at safeguarding the societal fabric of Denmark, which is a smaller country with a lower population than the UK.
“We expect individuals who come here to participate and contribute positively, and if they do not, they are not welcome,” he stated.
In Denmark—as in the UK—a political debate is ongoing regarding whether the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) complicates the expulsion of foreign criminals.
Similar to the UK government, Stoklund does not advocate for leaving the ECHR but believes that modifications could be made.
The Danish government has initiated a review to explore potential changes, and Stoklund indicated that he could find common ground with his British counterparts.
“I view it as positive whenever I hear that other countries share the same concerns and are frustrated in the same manner as many of us in Denmark.”
Mahmood is reportedly eager to meet with Stoklund at the earliest opportunity.
For Labour ministers, there are both political and practical lessons to be learned from Denmark.
In 2015, the country had a center-left government facing challenges, and a right-wing populist party was gaining traction in the polls, with immigration becoming an increasing concern for voters.
There are parallels with the UK today, as Reform UK maintains its polling lead over Labour.
Downing Street is interested in learning how a center-left party successfully defeated the Danish People’s Party, a former ally of Nigel Farage’s UKIP in the European Parliament, to regain power.
Ida Auken, the Social Democrats’ environment spokesperson, stated that adopting a more stringent stance on immigration created space to pursue progressive policies in other areas.
“For us, it was a license to operate on the things we want to do,” she said.
“We want to have a workforce that is educated, that has social security, and we do want to do a green transition.
“And we would never have been able to do this unless we’ve had those strict migration policies.”
Some senior ministers in the UK are believed to find that argument persuasive.
Critics would point out that while there are similarities with the UK, the situation in Denmark is different.
The country is not confronting small boat arrivals from the North Sea or the Baltic.
Danish is not as widely spoken as English, so language requirements likely discourage some potential refugees.
And while the vast majority of Social Democrat parliamentarians were in agreement on more hardline policies, there is greater apprehension among some Labour MPs.
Off the record, some mainstream Labour MPs have indicated that they would oppose the transplantation of Danish policies to the UK.
On the left of the party, former frontbencher Clive Lewis strongly opposed adopting the Danish system in an effort to outmaneuver Reform UK.
“Denmark’s Social Democrats have adopted what I would call a hardcore approach to immigration,” he said.
“They’ve adopted many of the talking points of what we would call the far right.
“Labour does need to win back some Reform-leaning voters, but you can’t do that at the cost of losing progressive votes.”
Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East and a member of Labour’s Socialist Campaign Group, stated that it would be a “dangerous path” to take and that some of the Danish policies, particularly those concerning “parallel societies,” are “undeniably racist.”
“I believe this is a dead end—morally, politically, and electorally,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today program.
However, Gareth Snell, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, expressed the view that similar policies to Denmark were “worth exploring” and that his constituents do not trust the current system in the UK and perceive it as “inherently unfair.”
He stated that when asylum is provided to individuals who can later safely return to their home countries to assist in rebuilding their communities, “then we should support that.”
Jo White, who leads a group of 50 Labour MPs in “Red Wall” seats in the Midlands and North of England, would also like to see ministers move further in a Danish direction.
She argued that Labour would pay a heavy political price if it did not adopt policies such as requiring some asylum seekers to contribute to the cost of their stay.
“The consequences are that we go into a general election where Reform will be the biggest challenger in most Labour seats… and we will be annihilated.”
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