Danish and Swedish politicians engage in ‘blame game’ on Malmö crime

Danish and Swedish politicians disagree on who is to blame for criminality in Malmö

Stephen Gadd

A number of Danish politicians, including the justice minister, Søren Pape Poulsen, have been commenting on escalating criminal activities in Malmö.

Poulsen has gone as far as blaming the crimewave on the lax immigration policies in force in the neighbouring country.

“One has to be careful when commenting on another country’s actions over a number of years, but the approach we’ve taken in Denmark, with a strict immigration policy and the will to make demands, has made a difference.”

READ ALSO: Malmö gang violence could spill into Copenhagen

Poulsen’s remarks were made at a hearing called by Socialdemokratiet’s legal affairs spokesperson, Trine Bramsen, to discuss the situation in Malmö, DR Nyheder reports.

“We’ve seen German gangs moving towards Denmark. In principle, the same thing could happen with Swedish gangs,” Bramsen said.

A great difference between the two countries
Poulsen responded that successive governments have done a lot to combat this kind of problem in Denmark, so there is a great difference between Denmark and Sweden when it comes to ghettos and the problems associated with them.

“The Danish police are very aware of the problem, but don’t see a connection between the crimewave in Malmö and crime in Copenhagen and north Zealand,” he said.

Dansk Folkeparti’s spokesman, Peter Kofod Poulsen, believes that successive Swedish governments bear a large responsibility for the problem.

“It’s incredible that a well-functioning country such as Sweden has degenerated into what we are now witnessing,” he said.

“There has been an explosion in criminality and one can no longer deny that it is connected with Sweden’s foreign policy.”

Pot calling the kettle black?
However, Malmö’s mayor, Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, is shocked by the Danish attitude. She feels that Denmark is the problem.

“My coffee nearly went down the wrong way when I heard the radio news this morning. The Danish government has to explain to Parliament how it will prevent Swedish criminality ‘moving in’ to Denmark. This is despite the fact that the Danish police don’t see any danger in this happening,” she wrote on Facebook.

The mayor feels that it is, in fact, Denmark who is exporting the problem to Sweden.

“We know that weapon-smuggling, illegal drugs and spirits [liquor] and other crime is extensive via Denmark to Scandia and on to the rest of Sweden,” she said.

“We also know that a number of organised crime gangs, biker gangs and other gang-related criminals have come to Sweden via Denmark.”

TOP STORIES

  • Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    After more than a decade living in Denmark, Russell shares why she made the move, how she’s coping, what she already misses, and the exciting new projects she’s working on. “It’s been a very tough decision. I love Denmark, and it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says.

  • Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    The new Gefion AI supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest and will accelerate research and provide new opportunities in Danish academia and industry.

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs