Denmark must respond to accusations from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) this Monday (30) that its policy of demolishing neighborhoods with a strong presence of minorities to promote integration amounts to racial discrimination.
The Nordic country introduced in 2018 what it called the ghetto package, a controversial plan to radically alter certain residential zones, including demolishing social housing units to disperse residents.
Known for its strict immigration policies, Denmark has had relative success in integrating migrants from non-Western countries, with high language proficiency and employment rates, but has faced a backlash from those affected by the 2018 plan.
At the heart of the issue is whether Denmark’s use of the term “ethnic origin,” often used to describe black people when classifying ghetto neighborhoods, is racially discriminatory.
Denmark defines areas with more than 1,000 residents as ghettos if more than 50% are “immigrants and their descendants from non-Western countries” and where at least two other criteria on education, income, crime and labor force participation are met.
A dozen residents of Mjolnerparken, a residential area in Copenhagen, first filed a lawsuit against Denmark’s social affairs ministry in 2020 after facing eviction.
In 2023, a Danish court requested a preliminary ECJ hearing to determine whether the term “ethnic origin” should be interpreted to include “non-Western” origin and, if so, whether this was discriminatory.
Eddie Khawaja, a lawyer for the residents, said the plaintiffs felt stigmatized.
“They are offended by the fact that in everyday speech, in legislation, in all policy proposals involving this, they have been referred to as residents of ghetto areas,” Khawaja said.
Denmark’s social affairs ministry declined to comment, saying it did not discuss ongoing cases.
Once the ECJ reaches a conclusion, the case will return to the Danish court, which will decide how to apply the ruling.
This content was originally published in Denmark is accused of racism in housing policy aimed at migrants on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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