Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is planning changes to the UK’s immigration rules modelled on the Danish system,seen as one of the toughest in Europe, reported BBC. It comes as a further 1,269 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats on November 6-7,according to the latest Home Office figures.
Last month, the Home Secretary dispatched officials to Denmark to study its border control and asylum policies. Denmark’s tighter rules on family reunions and restricting some refugees to a temporary stay are among the policies being looked at. The Guardian reported that the proposals have drawn scorn from some Labour MPs, particularly from those on the left of the party, who said it was a “dangerous path” to take, although others want the government to go further.
In Denmark, refugees who have been personally targeted by a foreign regime are more likely to be given protection, while those fleeing conflicts are usually only allowed to remain in the country on a temporary basis. Denmark itself decides what is a safe country, it said.
According to BBC, Mahmood wants to reduce incentives that draw people to the UK, while making it easier to expel those with no right to be in the country.
At the Labour conference in September, Mahmood promised to “do whatever it takes” to regain control of Britain’s borders. She is 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. In September, the UK Home Office suspended new applications under the Refugee Family Reunion scheme, pending the drafting of new rules.
