A 23-year-old Danish citizen suspected of promoting the Islamic State Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Denmark was jailed under the new Danish anti-terror law, the news website, the Local Denmark reported, referencing Danish daily Politiken. The Danish man of Turkish origin is the first to be affected by Denmark's newly passed anti-terror law aimed at preventing Danish citizens from traveling abroad to join the fight in Syria or Iraq. The imprisonment of the Danish man, identified only as "EC" was made public on Tuesday and he has been held in prison "behind double-locked doors" since March. His Danish passport was also confiscated, Politiken reported.
According to the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET), at least 115 Danes have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside the ISIS militants. PET estimates that at least 19 citizens have been killed.
Denmark has long suffered from a growing number of home-grown militants who pose a serious threat to the country's national security. The low integration rate of the Muslim immigrant population in Danish society is why a significant number of young people are being radicalized and joining ISIS and other similar organizations. The growing radicalization of Danish youth from immigrant backgrounds is an outcome of failed integration and restrictive anti-immigration policies pursued by Danish governments. The inability of pseudo-left parties to offer any opposition to them also leads to alienation, discrimination and violence among Danish immigrant youth. The Danish parliament approved the allocation of $9 million for an anti-radicalization program in January this year, following the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris on January 7 to prevent Danish youth from joining radical extremist groups over the next three years. The program includes assistance to militants returning from Syria and Iraq, and a national hotline for concerned parents and other adults. Through these programs, returning fighters are expected to reintegrate into society. Considering the rightward shift in Denmark's policies, the country has become one of the most repressive countries when it comes to immigration laws.
