Denmark’s immigration and integration policies are often hailed as a model of control, coherence and pragmatism—but they have also been criticised as being a blueprint for exclusion. This paper asks whether the Danish experience offers guiding principles for others or merely limited lessons bound to its unique political and institutional context. It argues that Denmark’s approach represents a deliberate political trade-off between social cohesion and liberal openness. By tightly linking access to rights with duties—especially labour market participation and civic conformity—Danish policymakers have redefined integration as individual responsibility rather than collective inclusion. While Denmark’s policies have succeeded in stabilising political consensus and limiting support for the far right, their long-term integrative outcomes remain mixed. Ultimately, Denmark’s model demonstrates that strict control and strong integration mechanisms can coexist, but not without ethical and social costs. Other European countries can draw lessons from Denmark’s administrative effectiveness and policy coherence, yet should also heed the warning they embody: that integration driven by deterrence may produce adaptation without belonging.