Nearly three-quarters of all those convicted of gang-related crimes in Denmark have immigrant backgrounds from non-Western countries, according to new figures from the country's Ministry of Justice. The statistics have once again sparked a political debate about crime, culture and integration in the Scandinavian nation.
According to the Danish government report, 72 percent of all those convicted under the country's so-called gang paragraph have immigrant backgrounds, reports Berlingske, a major Danish newspaper.
The data, compiled by Statistics Denmark and the Danish Director of Public Prosecutions at the request of Conservative MP Mai Mercado, covers the years 2018 to 2025.
During this period, a total of 213 people were convicted under the paragraph. Of these, 54 had Danish backgrounds, 36 were immigrants from non-Western countries, and 117 were descendants of immigrants from the same regions.
Section § 81a of the Danish Penal Code allows courts to double sentences if a crime is committed within gang criminal circles.
Researcher Lars Højsgaard Andersen at the Rockwool Foundation notes that several countries stand out in the statistics: Iraq, Turkey, Somalia and Lebanon. He suggests that cultural differences in views on law and authority "may play a certain role".
Conservative spokesperson on migration issues Frederik Bloch Münster describes the figures as "remarkably high".
Clear difference from population composition
The fact that the figure is so markedly high attracts attention, as only about 15 percent of Denmark's population consists of people with foreign backgrounds. Although this percentage is not insignificant in itself, the statistics show a strong overrepresentation of non-European immigrants.
According to Statistics Denmark, Lebanon is the most common country of origin among convicted gang members (35 cases), followed by Somalia (29), Iraq (23) and Turkey (17).
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has previously called uncontrolled immigration Denmark's "greatest threat".
In a statement in May, she said: — If too many people come who commit crimes, who are not democrats and who threaten our trusting and open society, then that is the greatest danger.
Danish People's Party mobilizes
The new figures are being released as the Danish People's Party (DF) launches one of Europe's most restrictive immigration programs ahead of the upcoming election. The party proposes mass returns, citizenship reviews and bans on Islamic customs.
In its manifesto, DF claims that mass immigration from the Middle East and North Africa has brought "crime, parallel societies and cultural change".
The party also warns that immigration from countries such as Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia has led to "the largest demographic change in Denmark's history," and argues that "Middle Eastern conditions must be pushed back so that everyone in the country can feel at home."
Unlike countries such as Germany and France, Denmark registers crime statistics based on migration background. The purpose is to better evaluate integration even among citizens with foreign parents.
But the figures are striking: according to Statistics Denmark, second-generation immigrants show even higher crime rates than the first generation – which already stands at a level far above ethnic Danes.
