Home HomeSwedenLivingWorld world_2_fill WorldBusiness BusinessSports sports-soccer SportsEntertainmentEntertain

Court to decide – is Denmark's "ghetto list" illegal?

Denmark's "ghetto law" has sparked strong criticism after the state forcibly relocated residents based on ethnicity. Now the issue will be decided in the EU court. It is an interesting legal question that will be able to become a principle in the entire EU, says the residents' lawyer Eddie Omar Rosenberg Khawaja.

» Updated: 05 October 2024, 10:04

» Published: 30 September 2024

Court to decide – is Denmark's "ghetto list" illegal?
Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

In Taastrupgaard outside Copenhagen, opinions about the Danish "ghetto law" are divided. On one side of the area, there are dilapidated houses that are to be demolished after ending up on the country's "ghetto list". On the other side, there are newly built apartments where residents have already started moving in.

It was really needed. My old apartment was full of mold, says a man who didn't mind moving.

Two younger residents who are waiting to move in lament the new construction.

They tore down my home and all my childhood memories. We'll also have to pay more in rent now. They just want to make money off us, says one of them.

Demonstrated for several years

Denmark's "ghetto law" has since its introduction in 2018 sparked strong criticism from organizations that believe it is discriminatory to forcibly relocate residents based on ethnicity.

Yet, the Danish state went ahead with the law and demolished residential areas based on an assessment of four criteria: income, unemployment, crime, and non-Western citizens.

In the Mjölnerparken residential area in Copenhagen, residents demonstrated for several years, and as soon as they realized they would lose the battle, they turned to a lawyer to take legal action.

In Denmark, it stopped at the High Court, which considered the issue to be of principle and therefore should be taken up by the EU Court of Justice. The court will decide whether the criterion "non-Western citizens" contravenes EU directives on equal treatment, says Rosenberg Khawaja.

Stigmatizing to be pointed out

When the trial is held in Luxembourg on Monday, twelve former residents of Mjölnerparken will testify against the Danish state. The verdict is expected in three to six months.

Ethnic Danish people from Mjölnerparken will also testify to show the breadth of the problem. They have also been forced to move just because they happened to have a neighbor with the "wrong" ethnic background.

Mjölnerparken has become known as the area where the criticism has been most comprehensive. In Taastrupgaard, Dea Maria Petersen, who is responsible for the relocation, believes that most people have been positive:

As soon as they see the new apartments, they want to know when they can move in. Then it's clear that many can experience it as stigmatizing to be pointed out as a problem in society.

Tags
TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

43 Monkeys on the Loose from Research Center
1 MIN READ

43 Monkeys on the Loose from Research Center

Musk helped Trump - what does he get in return?
3 MIN READ

Musk helped Trump - what does he get in return?

Attack on hospital in Ukraine – several dead
1 MIN READ

Attack on hospital in Ukraine – several dead

Zelensky: Concessions are unacceptable
1 MIN READ

Zelensky: Concessions are unacceptable

The Mastermind Behind 9/11 Gets a Deal with the USA
1 MIN READ

The Mastermind Behind 9/11 Gets a Deal with the USA

UN Soldiers Injured in Attack in Lebanon
1 MIN READ

UN Soldiers Injured in Attack in Lebanon

Trump's Peace Plan for Ukraine: No NATO for 20 Years
2 MIN READ

Trump's Peace Plan for Ukraine: No NATO for 20 Years

Biden: A loss does not mean we are defeated
2 MIN READ

Biden: A loss does not mean we are defeated

Canada in dispute with Tiktok - "national security"
1 MIN READ

Canada in dispute with Tiktok - "national security"

Europe after the Trump election: We must do more
3 MIN READ

Europe after the Trump election: We must do more

Harris Turned His Back: "Didn't Stop the Genocide"
2 MIN READ

Harris Turned His Back: "Didn't Stop the Genocide"

Israel buys new fighter jets from Boeing
1 MIN READ

Israel buys new fighter jets from Boeing

Multiple deaths in Israeli attack in Lebanon
2 MIN READ

Multiple deaths in Israeli attack in Lebanon

Demands No Confidence: "Scholz's Coalition is History"
2 MIN READ

Demands No Confidence: "Scholz's Coalition is History"

Iran: Trump's Victory Chance of Reconsideration
1 MIN READ

Iran: Trump's Victory Chance of Reconsideration

The demand to Georgia: Investigate election fraud
1 MIN READ

The demand to Georgia: Investigate election fraud

Democrats Fume: Biden's Arrogance Was Our Downfall
2 MIN READ

Democrats Fume: Biden's Arrogance Was Our Downfall

Two states are still counting their votes
1 MIN READ

Two states are still counting their votes

The Charges Against Trump – What Happens Now
3 MIN READ

The Charges Against Trump – What Happens Now

Struggle for Power in Congress
3 MIN READ

Struggle for Power in Congress