The Danish government has been accused of “racism” after launching a controversial plan to crack down on “ghettos” of inner-city migrant communities.
Under the plans, large communities will be encouraged to integrate into other parts of the city, allowing the redevelopment of urban areas currently plagued with crime, lower wages, poor educational standards and unemployment.
However, migrants have complained that Copenhagen is treating them as second-class citizens as the laws, which received all-party support, allow people to be evicted and moved elsewhere.
Critics are set to challenge the new laws in the European Court of Justice.
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Former Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has been credited as the architect of the scheme and warned that violence from the “ghettos” could “reach out their tentacles onto the streets”.
He added that the “ghettos” have caused “cracks to appear on the map of Denmark”.
Charges of racism were filed leading to the word “ghetto” being replaced with terms such as “parallel societies”.
Despite the criticism, MPs from across the spectrum agreed that the plans were needed to force migrants to better integrate with their new homeland.
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Charges of racism were filed leading to the word 'ghetto' being replaced with terms such as 'parallel societies'
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Residents of one 18-block estate targeted by the ‘anti-ghetto’ law have filed a legal case against the government, arguing that the selling of two of the blocks is unlawful.
Chairman of the estate’s tenant’s association Muhammad Aslam, 57, was previously sent to Egypt at the behest of the Danish government in 2005 to help quell anger at Copenhagen over the depiction of the Prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper.
“When the Danish government needed me to help solve their diplomatic problem I was only too happy to help,” he told the Daily Mail, “but now they treat me and my family as second-class citizens because of the colour of our skin”.
The creation of the ‘anti-ghetto’ laws comes just months after anti-Islam activists burned copies of the Quran.
The creation of the ‘anti-ghetto’ laws comes just months after anti-Islam activists burned copies of the Quran.
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Both British and US authorities warned that possible terrorist attacks were likely.
The Foreign Office warned: “Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Denmark.
“Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreigners.”
