Somalis in Denmark
Somalis in Denmark are citizens and residents of Denmark who are of Somali descent.
In 2018, analysis showed about 44% of Somalis in Denmark live in a parallel society.
By December 2018, nearly 1000 Somalis in Denmark lost their residence permits after the Danish Immigration Service started a review of the permits in 2017. The permits were revoked as parts of Somalia are safe enough for refugees to return.
Demographics
.Most Somalis in Denmark emigrated from Somalia following the start of the Somali Civil War, in the period between 1995 and 2000. According to Statistics Denmark, as of 2017, there are a total 21,204 persons of Somali origin living in Denmark. Of those individuals, 11,832 are Somalia-born immigrants and 9,372 are descendants of Somalia-born persons. 8,852 individuals are citizens of Somalia.
As of 2016, a total of 148 Somalia-born persons have been granted residence permits in Denmark for family reunification, 63 for asylum, and 6 for other reasons. Somali residents are generally young, with most belonging to the 15-19 years, 10-14 years, 5-9 years and 20-24 years age groups.
Socioeconomics
According to Statistics Denmark, as of 2016, among Somalia-born adults aged 30-59 in Denmark, around 66% of men and 79% of women live full-time in public housing units. This is because many arrived via family reunification or as refugees, and such immigrants usually settle in government-owned properties. Somalis primarily inhabit the regions of Hovedstaden, Midtjylland, Syddanmark, Nordjylland, and Sjælland, and the cities of Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, and Aalborg.Crime
According to Statistics Denmark, Somali males are over-represented as perpetrators of crime. Somali male descendants were about 15 times more prevalent as perpetrators of violent crime. According to Statistics Denmark, as of 2016, Somalia-born male immigrants in Denmark aged 15-79 have a total crime index of 208 when adjusted for age. Their male descendants have a total crime index of 313 when adjusted for age. With regard to type of infringement, the male descendants of Somalia-born individuals have a penal code crime index of 611 when adjusted for age, of which the crime index when adjusted for age is 771 for violent offences and 602 for property offences. The crime index when adjusted for age is 162 for traffic law and 383 for special laws.The average crime index among the general Danish population is set at 100 and percentage points above or below that baseline reflect greater or lesser prevalence, depending on a population's most common age group and its relative socioeconomic status. As of 2016, a total of 1,179 persons of Somali origin were found guilty of crimes. Of these individuals, 1,033 were males and 146 were females, with males between the ages of 15-29 years and 30-49 years constituting most of the total.
The most common types of offences were violations of special laws, followed by violations of the penal code and traffic law. Most of the persons received a fine, with the remainder given unsuspended imprisonment, suspended imprisonment, preventive measures, withdrawal of charges, no charges, or other decisions.
Income
According to Statistics Denmark, as of 2015, Somalia-born immigrants in Denmark have an average retirement income of less than 125,000 Danish krone. As of 2016, male immigrants from Somalia aged 20-59 have an annual income of just under DKK 200,000 before taxation. Most of that income comprises earned income, with the remainder consisting of public transfers, investment income and second income. As of 2017, a total of 8,064 persons of Somali origin in Denmark received public benefits. Of these individuals, the government funds were primarily allocated toward social benefits, the Danish State Education Grant and Loan Scheme Authority, disability pension, net unemployment, guidance and activities upgrading skills, subsidized employment, maternity benefits, job-based sickness benefits, persons receiving holiday benefits, and early retirement pay.Khat usage
According to a 2008 Danish Health Authority study on khat usage, among 848 surveyed Somali residents in Denmark aged 15-50, 67% of total respondents indicated that they did not chew khat, 48% of the men and 16% of the women reported having chewed khat within the previous month, with 29% of men and 6% of women reporting that they chewed khat two times or more per week. 50% of the respondents had never chewed khat, and 14% had formerly chewed khat but stopped. The plant has been a prohibited substance in Denmark since 1993. Virtually no 20 year-olds had chewed khat, indicating that khat prevalence was minimal among young Somalis. This indicated a shift in attitude in the younger generation since most khat users typically began to chew the plant between the ages of 20-24. Use of alcohol, cannabis and other substances was generally found to be uncommon among Somali residents, with very few individuals having tried them. Overall, the survey found that there was an intra-population trend among the Somali respondents to overestimate the number of khat chewers compared to the actual proportion, although khat chewing in Denmark primarily takes place within the Somali community.Education
According to the Danish Institute for Local and Regional Government Research, in the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment, Somali pupils constituted 6% of the student population in Denmark. They obtained PISA scores of 403 in mathematics, 413 in reading, 392 in science, and 382 in problem-solving. Of the most frequent countries of origin for students examined by the PISA, these were the lowest scores in all categories. As of the 2015 PISA, Somali pupils represent 8% of Denmark's ethnic minority student population. The PISA scores are now generally in the medium range of the most frequent countries of origin for students.Employment
According to Statistics Denmark, as of 2014, Somalia-born immigrants aged 30-64 in Denmark have an employment rate of approximately 26.2%. Somalia-born individuals aged 16-64 also have a self-employment rate of around 3.3%.According to the Institute of Labor Economics, as of 2014, Somalia-born residents in Denmark have an employment population ratio of about 17%. They also have an unemployment rate of roughly 22%.
In 2018, nearly 50% were in long-term unemployment.