Denmark Faces Accusations of Racism Over Anti-Ghetto Policy at EU Court

Denmark faced accusations of racism at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Monday over its policy of demolishing minority-heavy neighborhoods to promote integration. Copenhagen introduced what it called a ghetto package in 2018, which was a scheme to radically alter certain residential zones, including by tearing down social housing to disperse residents. The Scandinavian nation has had reasonable success in integrating immigrants from non-Western countries, with high language proficiency and employment rates among the immigrant population. However, Denmark’s strict immigration policies have prompted a backlash from some quarters, particularly from those affected by the 2018 plan. At the core of the case is whether the use of the term “ethnic origin,” often used to describe people of color when classifying neighborhoods as “ghettos,” is racially discriminatory....