The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance of the Council of Europe has criticized Denmark over a number of policies and practices related to combating racism and discrimination, calling on Danish authorities to take additional measures to protect minorities, counter hate speech, and promote equality in the areas of education, health care and police work.
The Committee published its seventh report on Denmark on October 22, 2026, after its adoption on June 30 of the same year, including 15 recommendations to the Danish authorities, two of which it identified as priority recommendations, and called for follow-up on their implementation 18 months after the publication of the report.
The absence of specific measures to combat racism against Muslims
One of the most prominent criticisms included in the report was the lack of a dedicated action plan to combat anti-Muslim racism, despite the committee's indication that Muslims are particularly vulnerable to hate-related incidents.
The committee explained that the Danish National Action Plan against Racism does not include an explicit recognition of anti-Muslim hatred, nor specific measures aimed at preventing and combating it.
The report called for the development and implementation of a dedicated action plan to combat racism against Muslims, including hate speech and racially motivated crimes.
The committee also expressed concern about the spread of hostile rhetoric that includes xenophobic and anti-Muslim attitudes, and what it described as stigmatizing and racist language, emanating from public figures and prominent politicians, as well as the increasing hate speech in the political sphere and on the internet.
Inadequate legal protections against hate speech and racial profiling
The committee also criticized the shortcomings in Danish legislation regarding protection against racist hate speech, arguing that the existing legal framework does not provide sufficient protection in this area, and called for strengthening legal measures to address this phenomenon.
The issue of racial profiling in police work was also raised, pointing to shortcomings in procedures aimed at preventing and combating this practice, and to possible cases of discriminatory behavior by some police officers.
She called for strengthening safeguards that ensure individuals are treated without discrimination based on race, national origin, or ethnic background.
The law of parallel societies and the classification of populations into Westerners and non-Westerners
One of the issues raised by the report is the continued use of the “non-Western” classification in Danish laws, policies and administrative practices.
The committee expressed concern that the use of this classification, particularly in the Parallel Societies Act, could lead to direct or indirect discrimination based on ethnic or national origin.
The criticism relates to the use of the ethnic background of the population within the criteria associated with determining residential areas subject to the law, and the resulting policies and procedures that may affect the residents of those areas.
Citizenship requirements and racial bullying in schools
In addition to the above, the committee also addressed the conditions for obtaining Danish citizenship, and raised the issue of not counting education among the work requirements related to obtaining citizenship.
She also criticized the inadequacy of efforts to combat racial bullying in schools, noting that schools and teachers do not adequately address issues of combating racism and discrimination, and that they are often unprepared to deal with discussions that are considered controversial.
The report also noted the continued racist and anti-LGBTQ+ bullying in educational institutions, and the committee called for the establishment of a national system to monitor and record these incidents.
Translation fees in hospitals and the health sector
The report criticized the Danish healthcare system's translation fee scheme, which requires some patients to pay for their own translators after three years of living in Denmark.
The committee believes that these fees may pose a barrier to access to healthcare for people with foreign backgrounds, especially when they do not have a sufficient language level to communicate with doctors and healthcare workers.
In contrast, the committee praised the work of three specialized medical clinics dealing with complex health conditions among patients of immigrant origin, located in the hospitals of Hvidovre, Odense and Aarhus, considering that they contribute to overcoming cultural and administrative barriers and meeting the health needs of these groups.
The report did not only address issues of immigration and religious and ethnic minorities, but also dealt with the situation of transgender people, noting that they often face unmet health needs, as well as negative experiences in accessing health services.
Two recommendations prioritizing implementation within 18 months
The committee presented 15 recommendations to the Danish authorities to strengthen the fight against racism and discrimination, and identified two recommendations as the most urgent:
- Developing and implementing a work program dedicated to preventing and combating anti-Muslim racism, including hate speech and racially motivated crimes.
- Establishing a national system to monitor and record cases of racial and LGBTQ+ bullying in schools.
The committee is scheduled to follow up on the implementation of these two recommendations 18 months after the report is published.
Previous criticisms of Denmark in the committee's reports
The criticisms contained in the October 2026 report do not represent the beginning of the Council of Europe’s observations on Danish policies, but rather come as part of a series of monitoring reports issued by the ECRI committee over the years, which addressed issues of discrimination against Muslims and immigrants, hate speech, housing and integration policies, and conditions for family reunification.
The committee adopts monitoring cycles that last about five years, not four years consistently, and issues a periodic assessment after about 18 months to follow up on the implementation of priority recommendations.
2022 Report: Criticism of Policies Dealing with Muslims and Immigrants
On June 9, 2022, the committee published its sixth report on Denmark, criticizing a number of government policies relating to Muslims and immigrants, and calling on the authorities to develop a national plan to combat racism, with a particular focus on racism and discrimination against Muslims.
Among the most prominent issues addressed in the report are:
- Anti-Muslim rhetoric has escalated, including statements by politicians portraying Muslims, refugees, and foreign workers as a threat to Danish values and culture.
- The use of the “Western” and ”non-Western” classification in the politics of parallel societies, and the stigma and discrimination that may result from it.
- The eviction of families of immigrant origin from residential areas subject to this policy, and the concerns it raised about discrimination.
- The need to strengthen legislation and procedures that address racist organizations and rhetoric.
- The need to promote equality and minority representation in public institutions, education, and the police.
The committee identified two priority recommendations: developing a national plan to combat racism, with particular attention to Muslims, and taking measures to prevent the forced eviction of families from residential areas covered by the parallel communities policy.
2017 Report: Criticisms of hate speech and conditions for family reunification
On May 16, 2017, the Commission published its fifth report on Denmark, noting the continuing problems of hate speech and discrimination against Muslims and ethnic minorities.
The report addressed anti-Muslim statements in political and media discourse, the difficulties of recording and reporting hate incidents, as well as a number of policies related to immigration and integration.
The report also raised concerns about tightening the conditions for family reunification, including extending the waiting period for refugees with temporary protection to 3 years under normal circumstances, and reducing social assistance for some categories of new arrivals.
He also addressed the issue of racial segregation in educational institutions, including the case of the Langkaer Gymnasium in Aarhus, which sparked controversy after students were assigned to classes based on their names and presumed backgrounds.
The committee called for strengthening the fight against hate speech, improving the recording of racist incidents, and reviewing policies that may lead to discrimination against immigrants and minorities.
2012 Report: Criticism of family reunification requirements and discrimination against Muslims
Referring to May 22, 2012, the Commission published its fourth report on Denmark, addressing a number of issues that continued to appear in subsequent reports, including conditions for reuniting spouses, discrimination against Muslims, and hate speech by some politicians.
The report also raised concerns about negative stereotypes of Muslims in the media and public discourse, the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in the police, and the need to improve opportunities for immigrants and minorities to obtain residency, rights, and services.
That year, the committee called for a review of rules that could lead to direct or indirect discrimination against minorities, and for strengthening the fight against racism in education and public institutions.
2024 Follow-up: The Committee considers two key recommendations to be unimplemented
On 15 October 2024, the Commission issued an assessment to follow up on the implementation of the recommendations contained in its sixth report for 2022, and concluded that Denmark had not implemented its recommendation regarding the development of a national plan to combat racism, with a focus on racism against Muslims, nor had it implemented its recommendation regarding preventing the forced eviction of families from residential areas covered by the parallel communities policy.
The committee noted that the government had allocated 8.8 million Danish kroner to prepare and implement the anti-racism plan, but considered that this was not sufficient to meet the recommendation regarding the development of a plan that includes specific measures to combat racism against Muslims.
She also expressed continued concern about the use of the “non-Western” criterion in housing policies, and the potential for discrimination against residents based on their origins.
Repeated criticism puts the implementation of previous recommendations at the forefront.
A comparison of successive reports reveals that several issues persist in the committee's assessments, despite having been raised years earlier. The issue of discrimination against Muslims appeared in the 2012, 2017, and 2022 reports, and resurfaced in the 2026 report through criticism of the lack of a dedicated action plan to combat anti-Muslim racism.
Criticisms regarding hate speech, immigration and housing policies, and the categorization of the population as Western or non-Western have also been repeated, while recent observations have expanded to include racial bullying in schools, potential discrimination in police work, and translation fees in the health sector.
The 2024 assessment is of particular importance in this context, because it not only put forward new recommendations, but also addressed the extent to which previous recommendations had been implemented, and concluded that two key recommendations had not been implemented. Therefore, the 2026 report raises again the issue of the Danish authorities’ response to international human rights observations, and the extent to which previous recommendations have been translated into practical measures.
Refugees Welcome and its role in conveying criticism
Refugees Welcome is an independent Danish association founded in 2007 that advocates for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, providing them with free legal advice and assistance, as well as raising awareness and advocating for immigration and asylum policies in Denmark. In the case at hand, the organization provided information and documentation to a delegation from the Council of Europe's Committee on Combating Racism and Intolerance during its visit to Denmark in November 2025. This information addressed issues of discrimination and racism against Muslims and refugees, including the classification of individuals as "non-Westerners," translation fees in hospitals, and residency and citizenship requirements. The organization stated that several of the issues it raised were reflected in the European report issued in October 2026, and two of its recommendations were included among the fifteen recommendations, according to the organization's website.
European Commission against Racism and Intolerance
The ECRI Committee is an independent expert body of the Council of Europe, established in 1993, tasked with monitoring the efforts of member states to combat racism, discrimination, and intolerance. Its work includes field visits to countries, meetings with government officials, human rights institutions, and civil society organizations, and the preparation of reports that assess the situation and make recommendations to the authorities.
It is worth noting that the committee does not function as a court and does not issue judicial rulings, but rather provides a legal assessment and recommendations to member states, and monitors the implementation of priority recommendations.
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