Regulating spousal migration in Denmark

Denmark has a reputation for having the most restrictive controls on family migration in Europe, and, although their full rigour has recently diminished slightly, the Danish regime has been cited by Coalition government representatives as a model for the UK to follow. This article analyses the Danish rules for admitting the spouses and partners of citizens and permanent residents. It outlines the nature of the regime and then discusses the factors that led to the current state of affairs. It concludes by briefly considering the likely problems of attempting to implement a Danish-style regime in the UK.