According to analysis by the Danish Institute for Human Rights, men of ethnic minority background are at much higher risk of being wrongly charged with a crime than men of Danish background. The risk is also higher for second generation migrants than for first generation migrants.

According to Danish newspaper Politiken, this and the way in which these individuals are treated by the police is an indication of illegal ethnic profiling. There have been reports of them being forced, for example, to stand in the street without shoes in freezing temperatures. Others report being stopped without cause in their cars on their way to work, or being falsely charged with possession of weapons.

A new report by the Danish Institute for Human Rights analyses a large number of criminal charges and arrests from 2009 - 2019. The report includes qualitative interviews with educated and working men of minority background living in Denmark, and shows that - in comparison with native Danes - the risk of being wrongly accused of a crime by the police is 27% higher for first generation ethnic minority migrants, and 45% higher for those of the second generation.

© Danish Institute for Human Rights, 2022. This illustration shows the likelihood of being charged, without subsequent court decision, for men of Danish origin, those with a migrant background, and those who are descended from migrants.

The report, accompanying juridical analysis, data analysis and analysis of qualitative interviews can be viewed in Danish here.