Danish PM calls Muslim migrants EU’s “enemy within”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Photo: apnews.com

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that a new “enemy” has emerged within Europe, linking some migrants, particularly Muslims, to support for terrorism, Brussels Signal reports.

Speaking in the Danish parliament on August 12, 2026, Frederiksen said Europe is facing threats both from outside and from within. In her view, “a serious enemy has begun to grow from within, and that is foreigners who have come to Europe.”

The prime minister said she was referring to “Hamas supporters,” people “committing acts of terror against European societies” and those who “do not recognize fundamental European values,” specifying that she meant people “of Islamic background who do not want an open, free European society.”

The debate was sparked by the mass arrival of migrants in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on July 30–31, when, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry, around 50,000 people crossed over from Morocco. Frederiksen described the footage from Ceuta as “very violent” and "disturbing" and warned that at the slightest sign of migrants moving northward through Europe, Denmark would not hesitate to close its borders completely. According to her, Danish police already have a plan for such a scenario that can be implemented within hours.

The prime minister also criticized Spain’s decision to legalize undocumented migrants, saying Denmark disagrees with that approach and has no intention of paying for other countries’ decisions.

Frederiksen said the current asylum system “does not work, is inhumane, and is destructive for Europe,” adding that Denmark and Italy have already called for tougher deportation policies and the creation of repatriation centers in third countries.

As the UOJ reported, the prime ministers of Italy and Denmark previously said that migrants must respect “our Christian heritage.”

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