The Home Secretary is expected to announce a shake up to immigration rules modelled on the Danish system – considered as one of the toughest in Europe.
Denmark’s strict rules on family reunion and restricting refugees to a temporary stay in the country is believed to have been the focus of some UK MPs.
Several left-wing Labour MPs have blasted the plans as “hardcore” and “far-Right”, urging her to soften the approach.
Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, warned it would be a “dangerous path” to follow Danish policies, particularly those around “parallel societies” which she said were “undeniably racist”.
Clive Lewis, the MP for Norwich South, said Denmark’s Social Democrats have gone “hardcore” on immigration and have “adopted many of the talking points of what we would call the far-Right.”.
Read more: Reeves plots pensions stealth tax in blow for retirement savers
The Danish system requires that an individual hoping to bring a partner into the country must have independent residence status and provide a financial guarantee amounting to around £7,000.
Both partners have to be at least 24 years old and meet certain criteria for integration.
Ms Madmooh is understood to be impressed that Denmark has driven down the number of successful asylum claims to a 40-year low – with the exception of 2020, amid pandemic travel restrictions.
It is believed she dispatched senior Home Office officials to Copenhagen last month to consider what measures could be implemented, as well as visiting herself.
Rasmus Stoklund, Denmark’s minister for Immigration and Integration, is a member of Labour’s sister party the Social Democrats. He said they have “tightened our laws in many ways” and have made it “quite difficult” to ensure family reunification in Denmark.
“You will get expelled a lot easier if you commit crimes. And we have made different programmes to help people go back home voluntarily,” he said.
Currently, there is no indication the UK would follow the Danes in offering substantial sums – as much as the equivalent of £24,000 – for asylum seekers to return their country of origin.