The UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, is expected to present changes to immigration rules later this month. Denmark’s system is considered one of the strictest in Europe, particularly regarding temporary asylum and rigid family reunification regulations.
Last month, UK Home Office officials visited Denmark to study the country’s border control and asylum policies. Potential measures to be adopted include stricter rules for temporary refugee residence and family reunification: both partners must be over 24, not receive public benefits for three years, provide financial guarantees, and pass a language proficiency test.
The proposals have already drawn sharp criticism from some Labour Party MPs. Clive Lewis argued that Denmark’s system borrows elements from far-right movements and represents a dangerous path. Nottingham MP Nadia Whittome described certain measures, particularly those targeting so-called parallel societies, as undeniably racist.
Despite the criticism, other Labour members are urging the government to move toward the Danish model, fearing the loss of voters to Reform UK. Jo White, head of the Labour group in Northern England and the Midlands, warned that otherwise the party risks being wiped out in the upcoming elections.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has also announced plans to extend the period before refugees are typically granted indefinite leave to remain, from five to ten years. At the same time, charities including Refugee Action, Save the Children, and Oxfam have criticized the move as performative politics that harms migrants, urging the government to focus on housing, the climate crisis, and the National Health Service.
The UK government has not yet released all the details of the planned changes, but they are expected to be announced soon, sparking a broad political debate over the future of the country’s immigration policy.