Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is preparing to announce one of the most significant overhauls of the UK’s immigration and asylum system in recent years, drawing heavily on Denmark’s restrictive model as ministers face sustained pressure to curb small-boat crossings.
Government sources told M10News that the package—expected to be detailed in a statement to MPs—will centre on rapid deportations, stricter appeal thresholds and policies designed to make irregular migration “materially less attractive”.
Mahmood’s office has been working on the plans for months, sending senior officials to Copenhagen to study Denmark’s temporary refugee status system and its tighter rules on family reunification.
The Home Secretary believes these measures offer a template for “credible deterrence” post-Brexit.
Deterrence and Deportation at the Heart of New Strategy
A key element of the reforms involves recalibrating how courts weigh migration appeals. Under the draft proposals, judges may be instructed to favour public safety and border integrity over rights linked to family life—an approach resembling the Danish framework and signalling a major shift away from long-established UK practice.
Home Office planners are also exploring changes that would restrict the grounds on which migrants can resist removal.
This includes narrowing claims related to potential inhumane treatment in their home country, raising alarm among human rights advocates who say the government risks encroaching on protections under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Ministers additionally want to tighten modern slavery rules by requiring migrants to declare such claims immediately on arrival. Officials argue too many of these claims are currently submitted late in the process, leading to lengthy delays in deportations.l
Labour Divisions and Public Reaction
The proposals have triggered a sharp divide within Labour. While some MPs in northern and Midlands constituencies welcome stricter controls, others have condemned the strategy’s tone and direction.
Several backbenchers warn the emerging model risks echoing the rhetoric of far-right parties in Europe.
Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome has already branded the approach “undeniably racist”, warning that Labour could alienate younger and minority voters if it drifts too far towards deterrence-led migration policy.
But MPs in red-wall seats say voters have lost trust in the UK’s border system and that Labour must show it can deliver firm but lawful control of migration. Stoke-on-Trent MP Gareth Snell said the party “cannot ignore public frustration”.
Questions Over Effectiveness and Legal Risks
Home Office officials point to Denmark’s long-term decline in asylum numbers, arguing that limiting “pull factors” can reduce irregular migration. But migration analysts caution that Denmark’s political environment—marked by a rare cross-party consensus on deterrence—cannot be easily replicated in the UK.
Legal experts also warn that constraining human rights claims will invite judicial challenges, particularly on issues involving family separation or risks to life. Several lawyers told M10News that the courts will ultimately decide whether Mahmood’s reforms remain compatible with international law.
The plans come as more than 39,000 people have crossed the Channel so far this year, prompting renewed calls for a credible returns agreement with European states. Mahmood is expected to intensify cooperation with France and explore stricter visa conditions for countries that refuse to accept the return of their citizens.
Despite the controversy, the Home Secretary argues that the current system is “being systematically exploited” and that the UK must adopt a new model to restore public confidence.
Whether the reforms survive Parliament—and subsequent court scrutiny—will shape the UK’s migration landscape for years to come.
Editing by M10News Politics Desk | Contact: politics@m10news.com
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