Denmark's ghetto law' targeting parallel societies' may be unlawful, EU court rules

"The controversial legislation, dating from 2018, allows the state to demolish apartment blocks in areas labelled parallel societies by the government, where at least half of residents have a non-western background. Formerly, the government referred to these neighbourhoods as ghettoes. The law states that if these areas also have unfavourable socioeconomic conditions for example high levels of unemployment or crime authorities must cut social housing by 40%, including by selling or demolishing properties or terminating the lease of tenants by 2030."

"In a long-awaited judgment on Thursday on whether the laws targeting these transformation areas are racially discriminatory, the European court of justice said the legislation may be unlawful under the EU's race equality directive. In a preliminary ruling, the ECJ stated that the law might lead to an increased risk of early lease termination and eviction for residents of these areas compared with those in neighbourhoods with similar socioeconomic conditions but lower levels of immigration."

"It would be for Danish courts to look at whether there was a difference in treatment based on the ethnic origin of the majority of the inhabitants of those areas, thus resulting in the inhabitants of these areas being treated less favourably, it said. They would also have to determine whether the law, although worded in a neutral manner, actually leads to persons belonging to certain ethnic groups being placed at a particular disadvantage, it added."

Denmark's 2018 ghetto law targets neighbourhoods labelled as parallel societies where at least half of residents have a non-western background and unfavourable socioeconomic conditions. The law requires authorities to reduce social housing by 40% in such areas by 2030 through selling or demolishing properties and terminating leases, and permits demolition of apartment blocks. The European Court of Justice issued a preliminary ruling that the legislation may be unlawful under the EU race equality directive because it could increase the risk of early lease termination and eviction compared with similar areas with lower immigration. Danish courts must determine whether the law results in less favourable treatment based on ethnic origin or places certain ethnic groups at particular disadvantage. Residents in Copenhagen say they are confident they can challenge the law successfully.

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