Denmark’s top court to rule on ‘parallel societies’ after ‘non-western’ people evicted
Summary
Denmark’s Supreme Court is hearing an appeal by residents evicted from Nøjsomhed-Sydvej over whether using the label “non-western” in the country’s housing policy falls under racial discrimination law. The ruling could affect other challenges to the law, which requires changes to housing in designated “parallel society” areas and has displaced more than 1,000 people.Key Facts
- Residents say their eviction aimed to reduce the number of people with a “non-western” background in the area.
- The law requires housing associations to reduce not-for-profit housing by 40% by 2030 through measures including sales, demolition, or lease terminations.
- The law targets areas where at least half of residents have a “non-western” background and also meet specified conditions.
- In December, the European Court of Justice ruled that the legislation may be unlawful.
- The UN racial discrimination committee has raised concerns about the law’s impact on ethnic minorities and urged Denmark to stop using “western” and “non-western” categories in law and policy.
- The Nøjsomhed-Sydvej case could affect a separate challenge by residents of Copenhagen’s Mjølnerparken estate, whose homes have been sold.
- Residents of Nøjsomhed-Sydvej could return to their homes if they win, while returning may be harder for former Mjølnerparken residents.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
