Greenlandic people in Denmark

The ambiguity surrounding the classification of Greenlandic people in the CPR has been referred to as "mistaken equality".[9] It can mean that newly arrived Greenlanders do not have access to government support programs designed for immigrants.[9] There are organisations such as the Greenlandic House that aim to assist recent Greenlandic immigrants to Denmark with job-hunting and finding long-term accommodation.[9] According to Jeppe Sørensen, director of a Greenlandic House in Aalborg, it can be hard to find those in need of help because they are not registered in the CPR as Greenlandic.[9] There is also the possibility that by reaching out to Greenlanders, they risk offending the majority of Greenlanders who live comfortably and don't need assistance.[9]

Despite recommendations by the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Danish government continues to disallow ethnicity being mentioned in the CPR.[11] The UN Committee warned this will inhibit an analysis of the "economic, social and cultural rights of vulnerable groups".[14]

Denmark's five largest cities are where most Greenlandic Danes are based.[9] These cities are Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg and Frederiksberg.[15]

Emigration from Greenland is predominantly from Nuuk with 664 people leaving in 2019. Other towns with notable emigrations are Sisimiut with 103 people emigrating in 2019, 93 from Ilulissat, 86 people from Qaqortoq and 49 from Tasiilaq.[16] According to Statista, 1 849 people emigrated from Greenland to Denmark in 2020.[17]

1721 marked the founding of the Royal Greenlandic Trading Company in Greenland by the united kingdom of Denmark-Norway and the beginning of Greenland's colonial era.[18] By 1776, Denmark was exclusively in control of Greenland's trade and it was not until 1950 that this ceased to be the case.[18] Greenland was under exclusive Danish trade monopoly until 1951 when the trading monopoly was abolished following Greenlandic complaints about their lack of access to other trade opportunities. In 1953, Greenland went from a Danish colony to an "integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark" and Greenlandic people.[19] From there, Greenland was given "home-rule" in 1979 and "self-rule" or "selvstyre" in 2009.[12]

An early example of Greenlandic people moving to Denmark is the groups of Greenlandic elite that were sent to live in a boarding house in Copenhagen between 1880 and 1896.[20] It was called the Grønlanderhjemmet or 'the Greenlander home'. The Grønlanderhjemmet was used as a base where the Greenlanders would stay while they received their training in various bureaucratic trades.[21][20] They would then return to Greenland and begin work for the local, Danish-controlled government. According to Rud Søren, a Danish historian, the Grønlanderhjemmet provided a monitored environment in which the Greenlanders could increase their understanding of a ‘modern’, ‘civilised’ society in order to return with these lessons and disseminate them in their home country.[20] The boarding house was monitored to ensure that the Greenlanders weren't exposed to too much luxury, which, it was feared by the Danish administration, could eventuate in their demanding better conditions back in Greenland. The idea, as stated in the original Danish publication outlining the proposal for the boarding house, was to help these Greenlandic people become more 'civilised' that they would then transport and disseminate on their return to Greenland.[21][20]

In 1951, 21 families were misled into agreeing to send their children to Denmark for six months for an education, they were told, that would improve their future.[22] 22 Greenlandic children were taken to Denmark where they spent one year with foster families in Denmark.[23] Unbeknownst to the parents in Greenland, on return the children would live in orphanages, not with their families and were only allowed infrequent visits.[23] Six of the children were adopted by their Danish host families.[23] The children suffered 'severe issues of identity and belonging as consequences of 'the experiment' and loss of their culture.'[23]

The programme was initiated by the Danish government as part of the de-colonisation process required by the UN following the Second World War. 'Nyordningen' or 'The New Incentive' was thus founded in order to 'upgrade' Greenland's education, health and social services.[23] The children would serve as a model for Greenlandic relations in Greenland going forward.[23][24] This was in order to 'improve... the future of Greenland' by creating a prototype of the 'new type of Greenlander', referred to then as 'little Danes'.[23][22]

It was not until 2020 that the children that were forced to be part of the experiment received an apology from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.[24]

"We cannot change what happened. But we can take responsibility and apologise to those we should have cared for but failed to do."[24]

In 2010 a Danish film, Ekspermientet, was released depicting the experiment.

The Panum Institute, head building of the medical faculty of the University of Copenhagen.

In 2018, there were 2 507 people born in Greenland enrolled in education in Denmark.[2] According to one case study, Greenlandic youth enjoy the opportunity to travel to Denmark for their education and do not do so merely out of necessity, as is often thought.[6]

The Greenlandic government has made available extra funds for Greenlandic Houses in Denmark to help reduce the rate of Greenlandic students dropping out.[25] This has been attributed to attitudes about study and mental health issues.[26] Problems such as homesickness, poor academic performance, low self-esteem and motivation levels are also reported by Greenlandic students studying in Denmark.[26] 17% of Greenlandic people in Denmark reported negative experiences at primary school.[7] Greenland's government has provided programs that enable Greenlandic families that earn less than 45 000 euros per annum to send their children to continuation schools and has agreed to subsidise families with incomes from 45 - 67 000 euros to facilitate the same thing.[26] Since 2013, Greenlandic students studying in Denmark have been permitted government grants to assist them in their studies.[26] 30% of Greenlandic students studying at universities study abroad, and according to Statsbank, “the majority study in Denmark.”[27]

Because Greenland did not have the appropriate facilities up until recently, those convicted of serious crimes have been sent to the Danish prison, Herstedvester, located outside of Copenhagen.[28] CNN estimated the Greenlandic prison population to be about 30 people in 2018. In 2013, FRIIS & MOLTKE Architects and Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects were awarded the contract to build a prison that will be suitable to house these prisoners. The 30 or so prisoners currently residing in Herstedvester will be offered the opportunity to transfer to the new prison, Ny Anstalt, situated outside of Nuuk, when it is completed.[28]

The Greenlandic population in the ghetto area Gellerup in Aarhus was subjected to racism in 2008, due to harassment from Arab and Somali immigrants.[33]

According to a 2015 report by DIHR, Greenlandic is not taught adequately in Danish schools and many children of Greenlandic heritage cannot rely on schools to teach the Greenlandic language to an acceptable standard.[7] This contradicts the Danish legislation that languages that are part of the EU/EE community must be available for education if there is a petition granted on behalf of at least 12 children residing with their parents in Denmark.[7]

The Greenlandic congregation of the Church of Denmark has approximately 16,000 members throughout the country. The Church of Greenland is an independent diocese of the Church of Denmark. The Church of Greenland and of Denmark are Evangelical Lutheran which is also the official religion Denmark and Greenland.[34][35] A Greenlandic priest was appointed and inaugurated in Aarhus in December 2020 and conducts services, church services and pastoral care in both Greenlandic and Danish.[36][37]

In Denmark, there are currently two Greenlandic priests. One of the priests serve all Greenlanders in Denmark and resides in the Diocese of Aarhus. The other priest is based in Copenhagen and serves Greenlanders who are on involuntary residence in Denmark. The congregation has applied for an additional position for general pastoral work. In addition, the congregation is in the process of applying for permission to establish a parish council for Greenlanders in Denmark.[38] Greenlandic service is held on the first Sunday of the month in Copenhagen[39] primarily at Helligåndskirken.

Greenland's National Day celebrations in Sisimiut, Greenland, on the 21st of June 2010, the first anniversary of the Self Rule. This day is also celebrated in Denmark by Greenlandic and Danish people alike.

North Atlantic House or Nordatlantens Brygge is an art and cultural centre located in Copenhagen, Denmark.[40] The building is a reconstituted warehouse that was once a shipping central of the North Atlantic region.[41] The North Atlantic House has shows exhibiting the history and culture of Greenlandic, Faroese Islands, Icelandic and Danish culture and history. This includes visual media such as film, dance and performance pieces, as well as lectures, research and debating.[40] In 2021, the House displayed art from the Faroe Islands, installation art by Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir from Iceland and a Greenlandic-style sewing and embroidery workshop.[40]

The 21st of June is Greenlandic National Day and is celebrated in Denmark annually, with prizes being awarded to local groups furthering awareness of Greenlandic culture and speeches given in both Danish and Greenlandic.

The Greenlandic Houses (Det Grønlandske Hus) are institutions designed to assist Greenlandic people while living in Denmark, particularly new arrivals and students. They are funded by the Greenlandic government.[42] There are four Greenlandic Houses in Denmark and are responsible for their respective region. Aalborg covers the region of North Jutland, Aarhus the region of Central Jutland, Odense House is responsible for Southern Denmark and the house in Copenhagen for Zealand and the Capital Region.[42][43]

The Greenlandic Houses offer counselling to Greenlandic people as well as health, legal, interpreting and accommodation assistance. This is extended to students from Greenland who have chosen to study in Denmark. The House provides student accommodation for a maximum of one year in order to help students find their feet and move on to more permanent housing.[43] There are Greenlandic cultural activities run by the houses for the local communities such as cooking classes and music performances.