Denmark is grappling with troubling statistics regarding crime rates among non-Western immigrants, who represent a significant portion of the nation’s violent crime and rape convictions. Despite making up 8.4 percent of the population, non-Western immigrants account for 14 percent of serious violent crimes and a staggering 24.3 percent of rapes. The Danish Justice Minister has expressed outrage over these figures, emphasizing the need for decisive action to combat this concerning trend. This article delves into the complex social and economic factors underlying these statistics and examines the government’s response to rising crime rates.
Non-Western immigrants, who make up 8.4 percent of the Danish population, commit 14 percent of the country’s serious violent crimes and 24.3 percent of rapes based on the number of convictions, according to data from Danish Ministry of Justice.
However, second-generation non-Western immigrants, who make up only 2.2. percent of the population, is responsible for 15.6 percent of violent crimes and 8.1 percent of rapes.
Taken together, this data shows that 29.6 percent of violent crimes and 32.4 percent of rapes are committed by people of non-Western origin, despite making up only 10.6 percent of the population.
“These are deeply disturbing numbers. We therefore have to take firm action against this behavior, which is completely unacceptable,” Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard told Danish news outlet Berlingske.
“It infuriates me beyond words that people we invite to our country return our hospitality by committing rape and serious violence that destroys other people’s lives here in Denmark,” said the minister.
Lars Hojsgaard Andersen, a researcher at the Rockwool Foundation who specializes in the study of crime and minorities, says economic and social conditions are to blame. Young men fleeing to Denmark have limited resources, are traumatized and struggle to find a job — something he says should be taken into account when comparing them to ethnic Danes.
“From a social point of view, it is challenging that crime increasingly has an ethnic face. Culture, traditions and parenting also contribute to the differences in crime between different ethnic groups,” Andersen said. As he further explained: “We don’t really know what the specific explanation is. But it is striking that people from Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Pakistan and Turkey, almost always fare worse when it comes to crime.”
Data from the Danish Penitentiary Service show that 27.6 percent of those incarcerated in Denmark are first- or second-generation immigrants. If we add foreigners to this (this category includes illegal immigrants, tourists and others who do not officially live in the country), more than 31 percent of Danish prison inmates are not Danish citizens. This is an increase compared to 26.8 percent 10 years ago.
While the number of incarcerated immigrants and foreigners has remained relatively stable, the number of second-generation immigrants in prison has been steadily increasing since 2014.
Denmark's justice minister sounds the alarm on a new phenomenon in which Danish criminal gangs are hiring child soldiers from Sweden's migrant slums to carry out hit jobs on Danish soil.The Swedish gangs have been so successful they are now exporting their skills to the… pic.twitter.com/gbw1E298RI— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) August 9, 2024
Justice Minister Hummelgaard wants tougher and longer sentences, especially for serious violent crimes and rape. However, according to Professor Andersen, the main advantage of longer sentences is that they keep offenders off the streets. He does not believe that harsher sentences have a significant deterrent effect and that instead, Sweden should focus on crime prevention and “positively influencing” incarcerated criminals so that they do not return to crime after serving a sentence.
Crime prevention is also part of Hummelgaard’s criminal justice reform plan, as are prison expansion and non-incarceration for less serious crimes to create prison space. In order to alleviate the lack of space in prisons, Denmark signed a contract with Kosovo in 2021 for 300 places in a detention center there. So far, not a single Danish convict has been sent to prison in Kosovo.
As of October 2023, the Danish government is intensifying its focus on crime prevention strategies amid these alarming statistics. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard is advocating for reforms that include tougher sentencing for violent crimes and increased prison capacity. Meanwhile, new reports have emerged about Danish gangs recruiting child soldiers from migrant communities in Sweden, further complicating the crime landscape in Denmark. The government is exploring partnerships with international entities to address these issues more effectively, while discussions continue about the long-term integration of immigrants and reducing recidivism rates among offenders.
