Embracing or avoiding diversity? Yet another hostile policy against ‘non-Westerners’ in Denmark

This short commentary is intended to open a further discussion on diversity in Denmark, particularly in response to the announcement made by the Minister of Interior and Housing, Kaare Dybvad Bek, in 2021 regarding Denmark’s plan to restrict the number of ‘non-Western/non-White’ residents in any neighbourhoods to avoid ‘parallel societies’. This news was not surprising yet still disturbing, especially considering the recent taxi law requiring taxi drivers to speak Danish, along with migration, ethnicity and education research communities being accused of ‘pseudo-scientific’ research. In order to move toward a forward-thinking, socially inclusive, multicultural, sustainable and just society, I comment not only on the recent (re)surge of racism and ‘resistance to diversity’ but also on higher education’s stand and social scientists’ role in addressing these issues in Denmark, wider Europe and beyond.