Overview
- The European Court of Justice said the policy may raise the risk of early lease termination and eviction in designated areas compared with similar neighborhoods with lower immigration levels.
- It is a preliminary ruling that guides national judges and does not decide the dispute, leaving final judgments to Danish courts handling cases brought by residents.
- Denmark classifies areas when more than 50% of residents are labeled non‑Western and requires social housing there to be reduced to 40% by January 2030 if other socioeconomic criteria are met.
- Implementation has involved demolitions, renovations, temporary relocations and sales of housing blocks, with experts estimating about 11,000 people could be forced to move by 2030.
- The government describes the measure as an integration effort to counter segregation, while tenants, their lawyer and rights groups including Amnesty International argue it discriminates based on ethnic origin.