Why Mahmood is turning to Denmark on asylum

Shabana Mahmood will announce what she calls the “most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times” on Monday.

- JOHN RENTOUL

Under changes believed to be modelled on the Danish system, Mahmood is expected to lay out reforms aimed at making the UK less attractive for illegal immigrants, and at making it easier to deport them.

In a video on X announcing the reforms, the home secretary said: “Across Europe, asylum claims are falling, but in Britain, they are rising. In the last four years, 400,000 people claimed asylum here, over 100,000 are housed and supported at taxpayers’ expense, putting huge pressure on local communities.”

The changes were trailed some days ago by the BBC, whose reporter visited Denmark, which is being held up by Mahmood as a model for a tough but compassionate asylum policy implemented by a social democratic government. And Mahmood herself will be on tomorrow’s politics TV shows.

What are her proposals?