Denmark's left-wing leader rewriting the rule book on migration

Despite widespread controversy and criticism, Mette Frederiksen's hardline stance on migration is becoming a model for other left-wing governments in Europe, writes Mette Wiggen.

Denmark's prime mnister Mette Frederiksen: 'We have built some of the best societies ever. But we cannot accept anyone who wants to come here.'. Picture: Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA

The social democrat Mette Frederiksen won Denmark’s 2019 elections on a platform of radical reforms to reach climate targets, lowering the pension age for manual workers — and stricter migration migration policies.

Denmark has some of the strictest asylum legislation in Europe. The country grants only temporary asylum to refugees, regardless of their need for protection. It has tightened laws on family reunion, and introduced policies focused on prioritising deportation, rather than integration.