Danish Policies Echo Far Right
False Assumption: Denmark's strict immigration restrictions represent a far-right hardcore approach unsuitable for moderate social democratic governments.
Written by FARAgent on February 10, 2026
For two dozen years, UK elites denounced immigration restrictionists as dangerous extremists. They ignored Denmark's Social Democratic government implementing tight controls on asylum, family reunions, and integration without spawning a large far-right presence. Ruling classes prioritized labeling critics like Steve Sailer as the bad guys over addressing voter demands reasonably.
Consequences unfolded with persistent small boat migrant crossings, including 1,269 arrivals over two days amid bad weather pauses. Successful asylum claims in the UK stayed high while Denmark cut theirs to a 40-year low. Voter frustration boosted Reform UK past Labour in polls, mirroring Denmark's 2015 crisis when its center-left government faced a surging right-wing populist party.
Now Labour Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood dispatches officials to Copenhagen for lessons on temporary refugee stays, family reunion limits, and expulsions. Danish Social Democrats credit strict policies for neutralizing immigration as a toxic issue, enabling progressive agendas. Critics within Labour call the model hardcore with far-right echoes, but Mahmood presses ahead to regain border control.
People Involved
- In the United Kingdom, Clive Lewis, a former frontbencher and left-wing Labour MP, spoke out against Denmark's immigration policies. He called them hardcore and laced with far-right talking points. He warned that Labour would lose progressive votes by adopting them. [1]
- Across the Atlantic, commentator Steve Sailer had been sounding alarms for 24 years. He pointed out that Denmark's sane restrictions did not turn the country into a new Nazi Germany. He saw himself as a ignored prophet among UK elites. [1]
- Meanwhile, Shabana Mahmood, the UK Home Secretary, sent officials to Copenhagen to study the Danish system. She planned to base new UK measures on it, acting as a late challenger to the old consensus. [1]
- In Denmark itself, Rasmus Stoklund, the minister for Immigration and Integration and a Social Democrats member, pushed his party's strict rules. He said they protected Danish society and welcomed the UK's interest. [1]
- His colleague Ida Auken, the Social Democrats' environment spokesperson, praised the tough stance. She said it neutralized immigration as an issue, allowing room for progressive policies. She viewed it as a license to govern. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (5)
““Denmark’s Social Democrats have gone down what I would call a hardcore approach to immigration,” he said. “They’ve adopted many of the talking points of what we would call the far right. “Labour does need to win back some Reform-leaning voters but you can’t do that at the cost of losing progressive votes.””— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
“For two dozen years now, I’ve been pointing out that the Danish have been implementing a sane immigration restrictionist system without turning into Nazi Germany 2.0.”— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
“Shabana Mahmood sent officials to Denmark to study its immigration system”— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
““We have tightened our laws in many ways. “We return more people back home. We have made it quite difficult to have family reunification in Denmark. “You will get expelled a lot easier if you commit crimes.”— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
““For us, it was a licence to operate on the things we want to do,” she said. “We want to have a workforce that are educated, that have a social security and we do want to do a green transition. “And we would never have been able to do this unless we’ve had those strict migration policies.””— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
Organizations Involved
Denmark's Social Democratic government put in place strict immigration rules starting around 2015. These included temporary asylum grants, limits on family reunions, and clearances of so-called ghetto areas. The party gained politically from this, leaving Denmark with one of Europe's smallest far-right movements. [1] In the UK, the Labour Party's left wing pushed back against the Danish model. They saw it as too extreme, echoing far-right views. Some mainstream MPs resisted the idea in private, fearing it would not fit British soil. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“Denmark has a Social Democratic government and one of the smallest far right parties in Europe, precisely because its moderate politicians have decided that democracy means giving the people what they want.”— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
“But some in her party are against going down the Danish route, with one left-wing Labour MP saying it was too “hardcore” and contained echoes of the far right. Off the record, some mainstream Labour MPs say they would oppose the transplantation of Danish policies to the UK.”— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
The Foundation
To many in the UK elite, Denmark's approach looked like far-right territory. It tightened family reunions, made asylum temporary, and aimed at breaking up parallel societies. This fed the belief that social democrats who tried it would only boost far-right support. Growing evidence suggests this assumption was flawed, though the debate lingers. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“Denmark’s tighter rules for family reunions have also attracted the interest of UK Home Office officials. Refugees who live in housing estates designated as “parallel societies” - that is where more than 50% of residents are from what the Danish government considers to be “non-Western” backgrounds - will not be eligible for family reunion at all.”— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
How It Spread
The UK's ruling class helped spread the idea by branding restrictionists like Steve Sailer as villains. They avoided addressing voter demands through democratic means. Media outlets and political talks framed Denmark's policies as discriminatory. An EU adviser even labeled the parallel society law as ethnic discrimination. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“But it was more crucial to the ruling class to denounce people Brita like mw=s as the Bad Guys than to democratically meet the desires of voters in a reasonable manner.”— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
“This law, which also allows the state to sell off or demolish those apartment blocks that fall under the “parallel societies” designation, has been controversial. Denmark’s government said it was aimed at improving integration, while a senior adviser to the EU’s top court described it earlier this year as discriminatory on the basis of ethnic origin.”— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
Resulting Policies
Before September, the UK's Refugee Family Reunion scheme let in spouses and dependents under 18. It required no income or English tests. This drew many migrants and led to its suspension. Officials now work on a more restrictive replacement, eyeing Denmark's methods. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“The pre-September scheme allowed spouses, partners and dependants under 18 to come to the UK without fulfilling the income and English-language tests that apply to other migrants.”— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
Harm Caused
Immigration pressures mounted in the UK. On a Thursday and Friday after a weather break, 1,269 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats. Poll numbers shifted as a result. Reform UK overtook Labour, fueled by public worries over immigration. Increasingly, observers see the old assumption about Danish policies as misguided, contributing to these unchecked flows. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“It comes as a further 1,269 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats on Thursday and Friday, the latest Home Office figures show. There are parallels with the UK today, as Reform UK maintains its polling lead over Labour.”— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies
Downfall
By 2015, Denmark had adopted strict policies that cut successful asylum claims to a 40-year low. The far-right stayed small, and the center-left returned to power. This outcome challenged the notion that such restrictions were inherently far-right and unsuitable for social democrats. Growing evidence suggests the assumption is flawed, as Denmark's success exposed its weaknesses, though not all experts agree yet. [1]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“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. Downing Street is interested in how a centre-left party managed to defeat the Danish People’s Party”— British Labour Government Considers Danish Social Democratic Government's Anti-Immigration Policies