World News for Students of English

05-12-2025 07:00

Danish Immigration Minister Rasmus Stoklund says Europe’s asylum system is broken because human smugglers control who comes into the country.

Denmark has a strict migration policy, and it wants a new system to help more people near conflict areas, rather than focusing on the few lucky ones who make it to the West. Denmark keeps low asylum numbers by making family reunification harder, offering low benefits, and generally having strict rules.

The Minister says these strict rules are necessary for protecting Denmark’s welfare system and social unity. The country is still trying to establish a system to process asylum applications outside of Europe with other EU countries. The goal is to return rejected people immediately instead of letting them stay in Europe illegally.

Difficult words: asylum (a place of safety), human smuggler (a person who moves people illegally across international borders for money, often under dangerous conditions), family reunification (bringing a migrant’s family to join them in the country where the migrant can legally stay), welfare (the health, happiness, and prosperity of a person or group).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.