Q&A: Trending Issues on Migration Back to its Roots: Why Do the Danish Social Democrats Want a More Restrictive Immigration Policy? PETER NEDERGAARD COPENHAGEN 2018 The Danish Social Democratic Party has been in government for most of the last one hundred years. Since the turn of the century, however, this has changed. The desire to win back voters, and the fragility of the Danish welfare system, are important reasons explaining why the Danish Social Democratic Party has adopted a restrictive new immigration policy in 2018. With this policy, the party seeks to reduce the number of immigrants coming to Denmark, support refugees outside Europe, and strengthen efforts to integrate people from non-Western countries already living in Denmark. Most controversially, it proposes that Denmark should establish reception centres outside of Europe. This therefore eliminates the possibility of applying for asylum in Denmark on a spontaneous basis. At the same time, Denmark will receive a number of refugees through a quota established by the United Nations. The new immigration policy of the Danish Social Democratic Party can be seen as a sign of an incipient revolt against the dominant liberal, pro-immigration discourse in many Social Democratic Parties in Europe.