Why are British and European politicians obsessed with Denmark’s immigration strategy? We uncover the dark reality of the “Danish Model” and how it punishes asylum seekers by design.

Politicians across Europe – including the UK government – increasingly point to the so-called “Danish Model” as the ultimate solution for controlling borders, immigration, and asylum. But beyond the political talking points, what does this model actually look like on the ground?

In this episode of In Solidarity, host Aman Sethi sits down with Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen, the first-ever Danish Professor in Migration and Mobility Law. They break down the harsh reality of “indirect deterrence,” how Europe’s most liberal border became its strictest, and the secret history of the modern passport.

Finally, they unpack the recent push by the UK and Denmark to bypass the European Court of Human Rights, and what that means for the future of global mobility. If you want to understand the reality behind the political rhetoric on border control, this is your essential briefing.

Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen is the director of MOBILE, the Danish National Research Foundation’s Center of Excellence on Global Mobility Law.

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Chapters: 

00:00 The Cruelty of the “Danish Model” 

01:59 What Actually is the Danish Asylum Strategy? 

05:39 Does “Indirect Deterrence” Actually Stop Migration? 

07:16 The Human Cost: Punishing Migrants to Send a Message 

14:18 The Secret History of the Modern Passport 

19:00 The UK and Denmark’s Plot Against Human Rights Law

Credits:

Presented by Aman Sethi

Audio engineering by James Battershill

Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela

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