The Council of Europe’s Commission against racism and intolerance (ECRI) has published a report on Denmark identifying progress made and gaps remaining in the areas of preventing and combating hate speech and hate crime, as well as ensuring equal treatment and inclusion in education and healthcare. ECRI presents a set of 15 recommendations to the Danish authorities, two of which are flagged for priority implementation within 18 months of publication of the report.
Positive steps to tackle racism recognised
In its report, ECRI welcomes the progress made and the good practices developed in several fields since its previous report in 2022. The Danish authorities have adopted several policies, such as the National Action Plan against Racism, with additional budget for measures to address hate speech and hate crime. Denmark has also taken action to tackle inequalities affecting Greenlanders, including through formal official apologies for historical injustices and steps to strengthen education on Greenlandic history and culture. A new scheme provides for the appointment of a hate-crime coordinator in each police district. Specialised migration clinics greatly contribute to responding to the specific health needs of migrants.
Denmark’s legal “non-Western” category continues to be concern
However, ECRI’s report highlights some concerns. For example, hate speech appears to be on the rise, notably in the political sphere and online. The National Action Plan against Racism does not contain explicit acknowledgment of or targeted measures to prevent and combat anti-Muslim hatred. Schools and teachers do not sufficiently cover issues such as combating racism and discrimination and are often unprepared to manage discussions deemed controversial. Racist and LGBTI-phobic bullying remain a concern. Transgender and intersex individuals frequently report unmet health needs and negative experiences.
The report also draws attention to cases of possible discriminatory behaviour by police officers. The use of the “non-Western” category in various laws, policies and administrative practices remain of concern.
ECRI’s first priority recommendation to the Danish authorities is to devise and implement a dedicated programme of action to prevent and combat anti-Muslim racism, including hate speech and hate crime. In its second priority recommendation, ECRI calls on the authorities to establish a national monitoring system to record incidents of racist and anti-LGBTI bullying in schools.
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