Such a deep anger has rarely expressed itself in Denmark. This comes on the heels of a newborn girl having been taken from her mother immediately after birth, igniting protests in Greenland and internationally. Ivana Nikoline Brønlund recently welcomed her daughter, Aviaja-Luuna, on 11 August. Local authorities moved in swiftly and placed the infant into foster care less than one hour after her birth. They listed egregious allegations of Brønlund’s inability to parent. This incident has attracted national attention and colorfully exposed a pattern of disrespect for those who come from Greenlandic heritage.
Brønlund was born in Nuuk to Greenlandic Kalaallit parents. She has made history by representing the first-ever Greenlandic handball Olympic team and currently resides with her family in Hvidovre, just outside of Copenhagen. The unexpected news landed on her like a ton of bricks. Here’s what happened just three weeks before Andrea was to give birth when authorities claimed they would take her daughter. The local government acted after the state passed a new law. This new law bans standardized tests from being used to judge whether a parent is competent if they come from Greenlandic backgrounds. Even so, Brønlund was given these tests.
The municipality’s rationale for the intervention included previous trauma in Brønlund’s life, stemming from her adoptive father’s imprisonment for sexual abuse. This backdrop has fueled the additional outcry, with many claiming this unjustly punishes Brønlund for things that she can’t control. Pipaluk Jensen, a spokesperson for the anti-eviction protests, noted it is fundamentally unjust to hold Brønlund responsible for her history.
“One of the reasons the municipality stated for the removal of her daughter was because of previous trauma in Ivana’s life. This feels so wrong to punish Ivana for something she is not responsible for.” – Pipaluk Jensen
Yet in response to a legal framework designed to protect families like Brønlund’s, she was met with a jaw-dropping reaction. She was deemed as “not Greenlandic enough” for the law that bans standardized tests to pass her case. These tests started last spring and ended this past June, well before the new law even took effect. This has further given rise to allegations of systemic discrimination against people of Greenlandic descent.
In recent days municipal officials have feigned contrition about their actions. Anya Krogh Manghezi, an official with the local municipality, recognized that their own processes were lacking.
“Based on the case and the criticism raised, we have taken a closer look at our case processing… we must acknowledge that we should have repeated the contact.” – Anya Krogh Manghezi
After all the outcry, the city has dived into talks with VISO, a specialist advisory unit. They are looking for new, clear guidance so they can cover their bases legally while putting families first.
Brønlund now has the chance to reunite with her daughter. This go trip is monitored and limited to once every other week for two hours. This setup has long frustrated many advocates who believe that keeping these types of restrictions in place harms both mother and child.
“It feels like you are not allowed to have a trauma if you are going to be a mum.” – Gitte
Brønlund’s case has triggered a wave of outrage across Greenland and cities such as Nuuk, Copenhagen, Reykjavík, and Belfast. Demonstrators are rightly calling for real, immediate political action. They are calling for reform to the child protection policies that disproportionately harm families from marginalized communities.
Laila Bertelsen, a tribal leader who helped organize the actions, pointed to what’s at stake in protecting the right of peaceful protest.
“Here we are faced with a failure of both child and mother, which requires immediate political action.” – Laila Bertelsen
Brønlund’s appeal against the municipality’s decision will be heard on 16 September. Tempers are rising across the country over this case. With its promise to expand racial equity principles in child welfare and protect the rights of parents from minority backgrounds, many observers are closely watching its future impact.