The Erosion of Asylum? Politics and policies of migration in the UK, Denmark and Italy

Europe’s politics and policies of migration and asylum are increasingly inspired by security-driven approaches, with individual countries – and the European Union itself – adopting different, but converging, models of mobility management and control. Denmark has been pursuing a highly restrictive approach, linking access to residency and family reunification to strict cultural and employment criteria, and even exploring the externalisation of asylum processing to Rwanda. In the UK, recent Labour reforms mark a shift toward a selective, contribution-based system that ties residency and settlement more closely to economic contribution, language skills and civic participation. Italy, meanwhile, has attempted externalising asylum processing, most notably through its controversial deal with Albania, which has faced significant legal and operational hurdles.

Against this backdrop, the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) is pleased to host a webinar to explore the similarities, differences and broader implications of these three national models. Experts will discuss the evolution of migration policies, the role of political ideology and populist pressures, the balance between border control and integration, and the impact on migrant people's rights.