Danish MPs to visit Australia's detention centre on Nauru Published duration 24 August 2016 Related Topics Europe migrant crisis

image copyright Mark Knudsen image caption Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen will be one of six Danish politicians to visit Nauru

A parliamentary delegation from Denmark will visit Australia's controversial offshore detention centre on the Pacific island of Nauru.

Six Danish MPs will visit Nauru and Australia to find out if a similar hard-line immigration regime could work in Europe.

The proposed visit follows publication of more than 2,000 reports revealing widespread abuse at the centre.

Australia's government has dismissed many of the reports as "unconfirmed".

One of the Danish politicians attending the trip will be Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen from the socialist-green unity party Enhedslisten.

"We are really worried by the reports about conditions on Nauru and Manus Island," she told the Guardian.

"For me the visit is an opportunity to ask critical questions about the model."

Martin Henriksen, a member of the anti-immigration Danish People's Party, explained that Denmark could maintain refugee camps in Kenya or Greenland.

"Australia has found an interesting model," he told Danish radio station 24syv.

"The government will continuously assess different migration policies by looking at the experiences of other countries - including Australia."

Jacob Mark, from the Socialist People's Party, emphasised the trip was a fact-finding mission, not a policy endorsement.

"It is also important for those of use who do not agree with the policy to see it with out own eyes," he said.