Former case worker and current Frederiksberg city councilor Lotte Kofoed has voiced concerns about the Danish welfare system, stating that it is granting early retirement pensions to individuals who are not entitled to them. Kofoed, a member of the Socialist People’s Party (SF), highlights the issues within the system and the challenges faced by case workers when dealing with non-Western immigrants.

According to Kofoed, some immigrants may prioritize benefits over integration. She recounted instances of similar stories being repeated, such as claims of “falling into a well,” suggesting potential fraud.

Recent data indicates a significant overrepresentation of citizens from several Muslim countries among early retirees. While 6.6% of working-age Danes receive early retirement benefits, the figures range from 15% to 29% for citizens from countries including Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey, Somalia, Algeria, and Afghanistan.

An analysis by SMVdanmark reveals that the problem is most prevalent in red metropolitan municipalities like Frederiksberg, Odense, and Aarhus. In these areas, non-Western immigrants are granted early retirement pensions two to three times more often than Danes. New figures from the Ministry of Employment confirm this trend, showing that almost every fifth non-Western immigrant in Odense and Aarhus is on early retirement pension.

Kofoed’s willingness to speak out about her experiences is seen as a positive sign. Her statements are considered part of a broader shift on the left, with a growing recognition of the challenges posed by Middle Eastern culture to the Danish welfare state.

SF’s evolving stance on immigration mirrors the long-held concerns of the Social Democrats and bourgeois parties. If SF joins the ranks of “immigration hardliners,” it will become more difficult for parties like the Moderates and the Radicals to maintain their current positions.

The current welfare system harms everyone, including both ethnic Danes and citizens of other ethnic origins, because integration is hindered, fraud becomes possible, and parallel societies develop. Ultimately, the most vulnerable are those citizens with a Muslim background who seek to escape cultural limitations, social control, and oppression.