Stephen Gadd
October 10th, 2017

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On Monday this week, Copenhagen’s City Court sentenced Shuaib Khan, the head of the Loyal to Familia (LTF) gang, to three months imprisonment with a two-year suspended probationary period for threatening a police officer.

If he ends up in court during the probationary period and is convicted, he could in theory be deported because although he lives in Denmark, the gang leader is a Pakistani citizen.

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However, in practice, this is almost impossible due to international conventions, according to Inger Støjberg, reports TV2 Nyheder.

The integration minister intends to take the matter up with her colleagues when Denmark assumes the presidency of the Council of Europe in November.

Urgent action needed
“I can’t tell you exactly what we intend to do. It’s extremely difficult when we’re dealing with conventions. But I can say this is a very high priority for the government,” said Støjberg.

She was especially piqued that a group of LTF supporters were seen outside the court celebrating the verdict with whoops of joy and hand gesticulations.

“It’s really too much to bear. Today they stand there celebrating and acting really tough, but we know that as soon as they are in the dock and facing deportation, they start whining.”

Støjberg is not alone. In his speech at the opening of Parliament, PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen said: “I can’t accept we are unable to deport foreigners from Denmark due to considerations surrounding family life and private life. It goes against my own sense of justice.”

May not be so difficult
However, the Institute of Human Rights believes it is possible to change judicial practice.

Jonas Christoffersen from the institute, who has studied over 400 cases, explained: “There are a number of judgments handed down by Danish courts in which people have not been deported, but in which the Court of Human Rights would have accepted deportation.”

Copenhagen’s public prosecutor has decided to lodge an appeal.