Denmark’s immigration laws have evolved over the past 20 years but the intention underpinning them is the same: only asylum seekers who have been invited should come to the country.

Danish immigration rules are strict. In 2013, the Danes instituted a so-called “jewellery law” whereby jewellery and valuables could be taken from refugees entering the country to pay for their keep. And while the measure has rarely been enforced, it is an example of government messaging aimed at deterring refugees from travelling to its borders.

Gaining residency rights takes longer than in other EU countries and family reunification is more difficult. Those who live in areas where more than 50 per cent of residents are deemed “non-Western” are refused family reunion. Failed asylum seekers are moved to deportation centres where the conditions are basic, the idea being they will self-deport rather than stay there.

As the UK’s Labour government cites Denmark as a model to be copied as it reforms its own immigration rules, EU states are increasingly looking northwards to the Danes for measures that stem arrivals and manage those already in the bloc.

Irish Times Europe correspondent Naomi O’Leary explains.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

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