Demonstrations erupt in Greenland and Denmark over controversial child removal in Thisted Municipality

Demonstrations have erupted in both Greenland and Denmark in response to the controversial removal of a newborn from a Greenlandic mother in Thisted Municipality. Signs reading “Stop your experiments on children” appeared in Copenhagen, while similar messages were seen in Nuuk demanding an end to the FKU.

The removal is linked to the debated FKU evaluation, a parental competence assessment that considers parents’ strengths and weaknesses through questionnaires, psychological tests, and interviews. Critics argue that the psychological test, created specifically for Danish conditions and conducted in Danish, fails to accommodate cultural differences, particularly between Danes and Greenlanders. Human Rights Institute has called for the discontinuation of this test and the assurance of interpreter presence during such evaluations.

Concerns have been raised that misjudgments in these assessments can lead to serious repercussions for both children and parents, potentially resulting in child removal. The exact details of this case and the role of the parental competence assessment in the decision remain unspecified.

In a recent demonstration, assembled crowds in Copenhagen voiced their discontent over the use of these tests on Greenlandic parents. Aqqaluaq B. Egede, Minister for Children and Youth in Greenland, criticized the handling of such cases by Danish authorities, labeling it as racial discrimination and wholly unacceptable. He expressed that if injustices in child removals continue unaddressed, it would signify a severe crisis for the ties between Greenland and Denmark.

The Danish government has recently allocated funds to develop new tests that consider the Greenlandic language and culture, leading some municipalities like Esbjerg and Copenhagen to abandon psychological testing altogether. Lars Slott, director of Thisted’s Child and Family Administration, stressed adherence to current guidelines, although he acknowledged the growing call for reconsideration of these practices. Social and Housing Minister Sophie Hæstorp-Andersen emphasized that parental assessments should never be the sole basis for decisions, highlighting the complexity of adapting psychological tests to different cultural contexts.