Is the Danish immigration model right for the UK?
This Is Why
Sky News
4.0 • 552 Ratings
🗓️ 17 November 2025
⏱️ 18 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced a radical overhaul of the UK's immigration system, by copying a model that has been seemingly successful in Denmark.
That, of course, depends on how you define "successful". Although asylum claims are down, many feel the country's tough approach raises moral and legal questions.
Labour hopes Denmark's tried and tested method will help it win over anti-immigration voters here, but what about the social and economic consequences? Is the Danish model right for the UK?
Gareth Barlow is joined by Michelle Pace, a professor in global studies at the Department of Social Sciences and Business at Roskilde University in Denmark.
Producers: Tom Gillespie and Emily Hulme
Editor: Mike Bovill
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Coming up on the Daily with me, Gareth Barlow, the UK's new Home Secretary is looking abroad for |
| 0:04.7 | answers on illegal immigration. Her inspiration, Denmark. But why are Nordic neighbour? And could |
| 0:10.5 | its tough approach really work here? Add water to your will. And know that from that single |
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| 1:11.2 | FX fees may apply. Limited availability. T's and Cs apply. I will be very frank. People come from coming outside |
| 1:19.3 | who commit serious crimes and do not respect our value and way of life. I don't think they |
| 1:25.4 | have a place in Europe and they should be expelled. So we need |
| 1:30.0 | new solutions that will lower the influx of migrants to Europe. That's the Danish Prime Minister |
| 1:36.1 | Meda Frederiksen, speaking earlier this year, calling for tougher measures on migration. What might |
| 1:41.0 | surprise you is that Frederikson leads Denmark's centre-left social democrats. |
| 1:45.2 | That's the equivalent of labour here in the UK and she's become somewhat of a role model |
| 1:49.8 | for Shabana Mahmoud as the Home Secretary unveils a new crackdown on illegal migration. |
| 1:55.0 | Save our kids! |
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