Denmark wants to deport foreigners regardless of ties to the country

In her New Year's speech, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced a tougher approach to deportations of foreigners convicted of serious crimes. She said that all foreign offenders who receive at least a one-year prison sentence should be deported, regardless of their personal or family ties to Denmark.

The government is therefore planning to present a comprehensive reform of deportation policy to increase the number of deportations, according to Euractiv. Frederiksen stressed that the country already has a strict immigration policy and is ready to push the boundaries of international conventions.

As an example, she cited statistics from 2024 showing that foreigners make up about a quarter of drivers convicted of reckless driving. At the same time, the Prime Minister has joined with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in efforts to change the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights in migration cases.

Most Council of Europe countries supported this initiative last December. However, Frederiksen has indicated that Denmark will adopt its own legislation before the summer, even though this may entail a procedural risk of violating international law. The country faces parliamentary elections in November at the latest.

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