Rooted in Iran and living in Ørestad, Denmark’s most international district, she loves the welfare state’s security but often feels like a second-class citizen.

At work, she's a production manager, but on the streets of Ørestad, she's seen as an immigrant

The Iranian family has lived in Denmark for 21 years, are Danish citizens, well-educated, live in a million-dollar house in Ørestad, and hold senior positions. Yet, on the street, they are treated as second-class citizens. Foto: Nicolai West
The Iranian family has lived in Denmark for 21 years, are Danish citizens, well-educated, live in a million-dollar house in Ørestad, and hold senior positions. Yet, on the street, they are treated as second-class citizens. Foto: Nicolai West
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The townhouses right behind Royal Arena in Ørestad, Amager are narrow and tall. They typically have three or four stories and are designed to form a small, quiet neighborhood where children can freely ride their bikes, draw on the road between the hedges, or play peacefully.

The majority of the exclusive townhouses in this small area, worth several million DKK, are inhabited by citizens with Danish backgrounds, while a few have roots in other countries. This sets the townhouses apart from the rest of the area, where over half of the residents in the southern part of Ørestad are immigrants or their descendants.

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