When Keira's daughter was born last November, she was given two hours with her before the baby was taken into care.
Right when she came out, I started counting the minutes, Keira, 39, recalls. I kept looking at the clock to see how long we had. When the moment came for Zammi to be taken from her arms, Keira says she sobbed uncontrollably, whispering sorry to her baby. It felt like a part of my soul died. Now Keira is one of many Greenlandic families living on the Danish mainland who are fighting to get their children returned to them after they were removed by social services.
In such cases, babies and children were taken away after parental competency tests - known in Denmark as FKUs - were used to help assess whether they were fit to be parents. In May this year, the Danish government banned the use of these tests on Greenlandic families after decades of criticism, although they continue to be used on other families in Denmark.
The assessments, which usually take months to complete, are used in complex welfare cases where authorities believe children are at risk of neglect or harm. Critics say they are culturally biased, particularly against Greenlanders, as the tests are based on Danish norms and conducted in Danish rather than Kalaallisut, which many Greenlanders speak.
Keira was assessed when pregnant in 2024, and the test concluded she had insufficient competencies to care for her newborn. She recalls facing questions like: Who is Mother Teresa? and interacting with a psychologist who called her 'uncivilized' based on the responses to culturally specific questions. The emotional toll continues as she carries framed pictures of Zammi and decorates her home with her presence, awaiting the chance for permanent reunification.
