Discrimination and racism scandal: UN describes Denmark's treatment of Greenland residents as racist
DR has just published an article about the UN envoy's visit to Denmark and Greenland. The article begins by stating that Greenlanders in Denmark face significant discrimination and racism when interacting with Danish authorities. This was one of the initial conclusions reached by the UN Special Envoy on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, José Francisco Calle Tzai, after his visit to both Greenland and Denmark. He told Danish radio station P1: “What worries me most is the structural racism they face. Despite being Danish citizens, they experience a high degree of racial discrimination in all the public services they need.” The Guatemalan diplomat spent the last ten days traveling on an official visit to investigate how Denmark and Greenland are implementing the rights of indigenous peoples, which were adopted by the UN in 2007.
The DR website stated that it tried to obtain an interview with the Minister of Social Affairs, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Equality, but to no avail.
Structural discrimination and the Danish government's claim that the welfare state (Denmark) is based on equality.”
The UN envoy insists that Greenlanders are overrepresented in statistics related to homelessness and forced displacement, for example, and that the psychological tests used to assess parental suitability fail to take into account cultural differences and are often administered in a language they do not understand. He adds, “The Danish government claims that the welfare state is based on equal access. But in practice, Inuit (Greenlanders) face significant administrative and institutional obstacles, as well as racism and racial discrimination.” Therefore, the accusations against the Danish authorities are clear.
Comment from the Director of Human Rights in Denmark
According to Louise Holke, director of the Human Rights Institute, the UN Special Rapporteur's approach is that the state has a special obligation to protect indigenous peoples from discrimination. Louise Holke says: "The question is whether enough is being done in Denmark. I don't think so." She also believes there is no doubt that there are problems when it comes to the treatment of Inuit people in Denmark.
Like the UN envoy, Louise Holke also pointed to problems with the tests used by authorities when assessing parents' abilities, as they were developed in a Western context and are aimed at Western families: "There is a high risk of a distorted result. There, not enough attention has been paid to adapting the tests to the culture," and she fears that this increases the likelihood of wrong decisions being made.
Forced transfer of children to foster families
Karin Bank Petersen, founder of the Mentor Immanuel association, which helps Greenlanders in Denmark cope with the system, also criticizes the psychological parenting competency questionnaire, which she believes is designed to understand Danish culture: “The tests haven’t been adapted for Inuit people, and that’s very frustrating.” The guidelines for the parenting competency test are set by the Ministry of Social Affairs, and the survey is used in cases of social dissatisfaction. It assesses a parent’s ability to care for and manage a child, and is often used by municipalities to initiate investigations as part of a case of forced child removal.
Lack of political initiative
The UN Special Envoy also believes that the structural racism he observes is not being taken seriously politically, stating: “There is no condemnation of discrimination, and this means that people stop trusting the authorities… I think the government should show the political will to solve the problem of racial discrimination against the Inuit.”.
Opinion of a Danish Member of Parliament from Greenland
According to the source, Danish MP from Greenland, Ake Matilda Høig-Dam of Siumut, was not surprised by the UN envoy's initial conclusion, and her party is working for the Inuit to be recognized as a protected minority in Denmark, a recognition that could grant access to more rights.
