World Immigration News

Denmark’s hardline immigration laws have caught Britain’s eye. Here’s why

Release Date: 2025-11-19
Media: CNN
Summary: European governments are increasingly looking to Denmark as a model for strict and politically effective immigration control. Denmark’s Social Democratic government under Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has achieved repeated election victories by combining center-left economic policies with tough asylum measures—something many other center-left parties have failed to do.

During Europe’s 2015 refugee crisis, Denmark chose a restrictive path: making refugee status temporary, extending the wait for permanent residency to eight years with strict language and employment requirements, and tightening family reunification rules. Additional measures—such as the “jewelry law” allowing asset seizure, the “ghetto law” enabling demolition or sale of housing areas with high numbers of non-Western residents, and expedited deportation procedures—have sharply reduced asylum claims. Refugee numbers have fallen to their lowest point in decades.

These policies have attracted interest abroad. The UK Labour government sent officials to study Denmark’s system and has now proposed an even tougher model, extending the path to permanent settlement to 20 years and reassessing refugee status every 2.5 years. Asset confiscation could also apply. Critics warn this would leave refugees in prolonged uncertainty and undermine long-term integration.

Human rights groups and refugee advocates argue Denmark’s approach harms integration by removing stability, discouraging language learning, and fostering a sense of hopelessness among refugees. The “ghetto” policy, in particular, is widely criticized as discriminatory. Even within Denmark, support is fraying, especially among urban progressives; the Social Democrats recently lost control of Copenhagen after more than a century.

While Denmark has shown that strict asylum policies can reduce refugee arrivals and defuse right-wing pressure, many question whether such measures are humane or effective for integration. Critics warn that importing the model elsewhere may deepen social division, entrench second-class citizenship, and ultimately be counterproductive for both refugees and host societies.
Tags: Denmark

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