World News for Students of English

05-12-2025 07:00

Denmark’s Minister for Immigration and Integration, Rasmus Stoklund, stated that the European asylum system is broken and advocates for a shift in policy toward stricter controls, a path Denmark adopted years ago.

He is pushing for a new system that helps more people in the third world and closer to conflicts, rather than focusing resources on a small number of privileged people who reach Europe, often via human smugglers. Stoklund defends Denmark’s strict stance, including harder rules on family reunification and lower welfare benefits, as necessary to maintain social cohesion, trust, and the integrity of the Danish welfare state. He views this as a social democratic policy aimed at preventing instability and ensuring new arrivals contribute positively.

The Minister also expressed Denmark’s continued focus on establishing asylum procedures outside of Europe, potentially through shared return hubs with other EU member states. This would allow cases to be handled abroad, with rejected applicants being sent directly back to their home countries instead of remaining in Europe without grounds for asylum.

Difficult words: advocate (to publicly support or recommend a particular cause, policy, or person), privileged (having special rights, advantages, or access that most people don’t have), social cohesion (the state of a society where there is a high degree of social trust, shared values, and a strong sense of belonging among its members).

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