Copenhagen’s ‘ghetto law’ may be unlawful, EU court rules

ECJ ruling brings hope to area of city targeted over high percentage of residents with ‘non-western’ backgrounds

Residents of a Copenhagen neighbourhood that became an international symbol of a law in Denmark known as the “ghetto law” have said they are confident they can overturn the legislation in the Danish courts after the top EU court ruled that it may be unlawful.

The controversial law, dating from 2018, allows the state to demolish apartment blocks in areas labelled “parallel societies” by the government, where at least half of residents have a “non-western” background. Formerly, the government referred to these neighbourhoods as “ghettoes”.