Friedrich Ebert Stiftung BACK TO ITS ROOTS Why Do the Danish Social Democrats Want a More Restrictive Immigration Policy
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
The Danish Social Democratic Party has been in government for most of the last one
hundred years. Since the turn of the century, however, this has changed. The desire to
win back voters, and the fragility of the Danish welfare system, are important reasons
explaining why the Danish Social Democratic Party has adopted a restrictive new
immigration policy in 2018.
With this policy, the party seeks to reduce the number of immigrants coming to
Denmark, support refugees outside Europe, and strengthen efforts to integrate people
from non-Western countries already living in Denmark.
Most controversially, it proposes that Denmark should establish reception centres
outside of Europe. This therefore eliminates the possibility of applying for asylum in
Denmark on a spontaneous basis. At the same time, Denmark will receive a number
of refugees through a quota established by the