Denmark’s anti-immigrant stance, though vilified by human rights groups and EU officials, is backed by most Danes, who were shocked at the sight of refugees hiking along roads during the 2015 crisis, even though most of them were heading to Sweden.
The law passed this month enabling Denmark to process asylum seekers in hubs outside Europe which Britain is considering sharing is the latest in a long list of hardline measures that threaten Denmark’s reputation for progressive politics and humanitarianism, critics have claimed.
This year the government became the first in Europe to revoke the residency permits of more than 200 Syrian refugees, declaring Damascus and the surrounding area to be safe.
It has also announced a plan to cap the number of “non-westerners” allowed
