Forced integration of migrants is against EU law
21 February 2025
For years, the Danish government has forced integration of non-Western migrants into Danish society through the so-called 'ghetto law'. The law is a social engineering project to dismantle immigrant enclaves in cities across Denmark, which are considered "potential breeding grounds for antidemocratic values, delinquency, and violence," according to the government.
It categorises neighbourhoods based on four factors: unemployment, crime, education, income, and the proportion of non-Western immigrants living there. Where a majority of the population has an immigrant background, the municipality can reduce the share of social housing to 40%.
Preschool-age children living in these neighbourhoods must spend 25 hours per week learning the Danish language, values, and traditions. Meanwhile, their European counterparts are under no such obligation.
The verdict on this 'ghetto law' is in – it's illegal. The advocate general for the European Court of Justice said in a legal opinion last week that the Danish law directly discriminates against individuals based on their nationality and, therefore, breaches EU law.
Immigrant populations forced to move have no control over the location or price of their new homes. The policy rips apart the social support systems, networks, and economies formed in these ethnically diverse communities.
The Migrant Policy Index from 2020 highlighted non-EU citizens in Denmark as being in one of the least stable positions in the EU, which "encourages the Danish public to see immigrants as foreigners and not as the equals of native citizens."
 | Laoise Murray The official court decision is due to be released in the coming months, but this statement signals that such blatant ethnic discrimination will not be accepted under EU law. With anti-immigrant sentiment rising across Europe, many countries are looking to restrict migrants' rights, but it seems they won't be able to take their cue from Denmark in this case. |
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