Copenhagen (AFP) – A group of "non-Western" ex-tenants in a Danish social housing estate face off against their former landlord in the country's Supreme Court on Friday, arguing they were discriminated against when their leases were terminated.

Issued on: 06/11/2026 - 07:27

The seven families from Helsingor, north of Copenhagen, had their leases terminated in 2022 under a 2018 law that says all social housing estates where more than half of residents are "non-Western" must rebuild, renovate and change the social mix by renting at least 60 percent of the homes at market rates by 2030.

"Non-Western" is one criterion the government uses to define "transformation areas", which it previously termed "hard ghettos".

The plaintiffs claim their leases were wrongfully terminated, citing discrimination based on ethnic origin.

Denmark's lower courts have so far ruled in favour of the landlord, arguing the expression "immigrants and descendants of people from non-Western countries" used in the law does not refer to a population group of one ethnic origin, and therefore does not violate the Equal Treatment Act.

The lawyer for the ex-tenants, Eddie Khawaja, said the question before the Supreme Court was simple: "It's about whether the criteria regarding the tenants' origin is neutral or not."

In Helsingor, the landlord Boliggarden announced in early 2020 that it would carry out extensive renovations on seven stairwells -- 96 apartments in total.

It terminated the leases of those tenants, most of whom were of foreign origin.

"They didn't want the estate to be labeled 'hard ghetto' so they wanted to forcibly move us out when we advocated for other solutions," 33-year-old plaintiff Riad, who didn't want his family name published, told AFP.

"The documents (from the landlord) specifically mention targeting non-Western inhabitants. It is discriminatory," he said.

'Hopeful'

Denmark has pursued a hard line on immigration for three decades.

When the law was introduced, the government said it was aimed at combatting segregation and "parallel societies" in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, many of which were struggling with high crime rates.

The law has been widely criticised by tenants and tenants' associations but there has been broad political support for it.

Some 11,000 people across Denmark will have to leave their apartments to be rehoused elsewhere by 2030 in order to comply with the law, according to tenants' associations.

In another case brought by tenants of a Copenhagen housing estate, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in December 2025 ruled it was up to Danish courts to decide whether the law was discriminatory.

Danish courts would have to determine whether the "criterion establishes a difference in treatment based on the ethnic origin of the majority of the inhabitants of those areas, thus resulting in the inhabitants of those areas being treated less favourably," it said.

Khawaja, the plaintiffs' lawyer, said he was optimistic about the Supreme Court's ruling.

"I trust the judges and I'm quite hopeful," he said.

"I really hope the Supreme Court goes our way and that this may be the beginning of a real change in the harsh, discriminatory course against Danes with another ethnic background and immigrants," plaintiff Riad added.

"There must be room for everyone in public housing areas, regardless of social background, skin colour, ethnic origin, level of education."

If the Supreme Court rules in their favour, the families would likely be rehoused in accommodation similar to what they were forced to leave.

No date has been set yet for the verdict.

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© 2026 AFP

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