Mette Frederiksen has been head of the Danish government since 2019. She is the leader of the Social Democratic Party, whose social policy mostly does not disagree from another groups akin to the worldview.
She late announced, for example, the introduction of food stamps for more than 2 million Danes with the lowest income. I want the youngest classes in schools reduced to 14 children. Her government besides announced a simplification in kid care fees in nursery and kindergartens. Although Denmark besides decided in 2025 to rise the retirement age to 70.
However, as centre-left Prime Minister Frederiksen shocks for another reason. Its asylum policy is present considered the most restrictive in the EU. And from her mouth comes specified words as the fresh Year's message addressed to immigrants:
– To those people who came here and committed crimes: you shouldn't be here. We're not in the temper for your crazy ride and your domination culture. You're destroying the most beautiful country in the world. And we won't let you.
Fredrkisen then announced a plan to further tighten the deportation rules in Denmark, which is besides heard in Poland today.
Fredriksen played populists on her nose
You can ask – why her? Why is that? global analyses are already being developed on the Danish model of politics, which combines left-wing ideology with the right-wing approach to migration. Denmark is given as an example, not to mention that many treat it as a political phenomenon – but besides 1 that provokes outrage against human rights defenders.
"More and more countries are starting to take the lead from Denmark's solutions. The Prime Minister of this country, Mette Frederiksen, is besides a good example for the contemporary left, how to combine the social democrat's sensitivity with a tough migration policy" – late analysed Adam Szymczyk, an expert of the Jagiellonian Club.
Everyone present sees that Fredriksen not only limited the influx of immigrants to Denmark, but she played on the nose of populists from the far right – she weakened them, deprived them of arguments, threw the baton out of their hands and, as it were, entered into their role.
So possibly the Polish Left, which the Confederate beats in all polls on the head, could learn something from it? She's not the only 1 to think about.
In a sense, something like this has already pointed out in Germany to the Social Democrats present Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU, where, as is known, the far right is increasing stronger.
"Denmark, with the social democratic government, has mostly solved this problem with a very harsh migration policy and right-wing populists have disappeared. And here they doubled and it has something to do with your migration policy – he scolded Olof Scholz before he even took over.
This is how Danish dislike of immigrants grew
What do the Danes do that everyone points their finger at them? due to the fact that Poland besides has no right-wing government and deports illegal immigrants, and it is improbable to talk about it abroad.
"In 2025, the Border defender forced, by air, expelled nearly 900 foreigners to 3rd countries. Zero tolerance for lawbreakers" – Marcin Kierwiński wrote on the X head of the Ministry of abroad Affairs.
Let's look at the Danish background first.
Denmark has 5.5 million inhabitants. By 2015, she received even 15,000 immigrants per year.
2015 was a major year in this respect across Europe. After him everything changed, the Danes besides began to get tired of those who lived only on benefits. However, in Denmark, "no" has taken a decisive and extremist turn for immigrants. As the first of the Nordic countries, Denmark began cleaning up very quickly.
The right hand came to power. The populist Danish People's organization entered the government, and the parliament was headed by Pia Kjærsgaard, a contributor to the DPL, a large opponent of multiculti and immigrants. In 2016, Danes' reluctance to immigrants was so large that Denmark began to attract attention and criticism of Europe. I wrote myself:
"Denmark, as the first country, paid for ads in Lebanese newspapers discouraging Muslims to enter her territory. She made up moral courses for immigrants. It introduced a law allowing immigrants to take valuables, which was to be a way of covering the costs of their stay in Denmark. But this did not find knowing in Europe."
Populist ideas fell on susceptible ground. The merger of exile families has besides been made hard in Denmark. Even a bill was drafted to let the deportation of imams who preached extremist sermons spreading hatred. Overall, requirements for asylum seekers have been raised over respective years and social benefits for fresh refugees and immigrants have been reduced. "The end of paradise for immigrants" was beginning to spread.
Mette Frederiksen strengthens restrictions on immigrants
In specified circumstances and moods – in 2019 – the centre-left Mette Frederiksen comes to power. Its government, to the surprise of many in Europe, not only continues its policy of right-wing predecessors from the beginning, but it strengthens restrictions on immigrants even more.
Announces the "zero asylum seekers" objective. It reviews residence permits issued to Syrians. It tempts Syrian refugees to return to their country voluntarily if they come from safe areas. It adopts a law that allows asylum seekers to be transferred to 3rd countries – besides outside Europe – to be examined there (although nothing is yet known about agreements with these countries).
She's under global criticism.
"If besides many people from outside Europe get into Europe, the problems with the deficiency of integration will simply be besides large and besides massive," explains Fredriksen in an interview with "Bloomberg" and continues to do so.
It strengthens another regulations, specified as the work to study to deportation centres by immigrants who have been refused asylum. Even Georgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, gets along with immigrants. And it goes even further. erstwhile Denmark presides over the EU Council in the second half of 2025, it takes the chance to talk about a tough policy towards immigrants.
– From the outside comes people who commit serious crimes and do not respect our values and lifestyles. I do not think that there is simply a place for them in Europe and they should be expelled – the MEPs hear from it.
Today, Europe is one more time shocked.
"Denmark tightens the course towards immigrants", "Strengthens deportations", "The end of migration taboo in Europe is coming?" – it is spreading again.
Automatic deportation of foreigners from Denmark
This time it is about the automatic deportation of foreigners who in the past were sentenced to imprisonment (at least 1 year) for serious crimes, including rape.
Prime Minister Fredriksen spoke of this message to the nation on January 1, 2026. Her words, which I quote at the beginning, in Poland rapidly picked up tv Republic and national environments.
"The Prime Minister of Denmark has had adequate illegal immigrants!", "Predicts mass deportations of refugees" – I read on their pages. On 1 of them they write, "It seems that even the complete drain of Scandinavia is beginning to come to head about multi-culti madness. Better late than never."
Other portals say that it is besides about Poles who had a problem with the law.
The improvement of the judiciary to let deportations was presented by the Prime Minister on 30 January 2026. She admitted that they could face allegations of violating the European Convention on Human Rights, but her government considers protecting citizens' safety as an absolute priority.
Read – he will proceed to do his job. Copenhagen even wants to make a position of peculiar ambassador to handle deportations.
Why does a Social politician run an anti-immigrant policy?
And now the question is: why does the Prime Minister of the Social Democratic Government conduct specified a policy? Is that the voice of reason or the calculating, due to the fact that he knows what social sentiments are?
Adam Szymczyk of the Jagiellonian Club takes us back in his analysis by respective years, until the beginning of Mette Frederiksen – erstwhile the social democrats lost support and the populists came to power and she took the lead of the party.
"The strategy adopted by Frederiksen proved to be effective – as a result, social democrats gradually began to regain support in key social groups for them," we read.
And another analysis. The Institute of Central Europe mentions the 2019 election campaign:
Opt-out clause or whatever Denmark may
Finally, an crucial point. Even if individual in the EU does not like Danish solutions and believes that they are contrary to EU rules/law, Denmark has the right to do so. And her situation is special.
Under the opt-out clause negotiated in 1992 which excludes Denmark from part of EU law, it does not request to apply EU government on asylum and migration policy. In practice, this means that it can, for example, introduce stricter laws.
