This European country has slashed the number of asylum applications by a third, so why can’t we? The man whose policies dramatically cut them reveals how he did it… and how we could too

Denmark has cut its asylum applications by a third in recent years through hardline immigration policies, and the politician behind the strategy says the UK could achieve similar results by making itself less attractive to asylum seekers. Rasmus Stoklund, Denmark's former immigration and integration minister, told the Daily Mail that strict eligibility checks, rapid decision-making and swift deportations of rejected claimants have deterred people from attempting to reach Denmark, sending a clear signal to migrants and people-smugglers alike. The comparison is pointed given that Denmark's governing Social Democrats share values similar to Labour, and the Home Secretary has already sought advice from Stoklund directly.

As recently as 2023, Denmark and the UK had comparable asylum application rates per capita, at 57 and 55 per 100,000 people respectively. Since then the figures have diverged sharply: Britain's rate has nearly tripled to 145 per 100,000, while Denmark's has fallen by a third to 40. Stoklund said Denmark now processes claims quickly and rejects many outright when applicants come from safe countries, detaining and deporting them rather than releasing them into the community, with around 50 people a week put on deportation flights, including returns to Afghanistan and Syria.