Mattias Tesfaye, himself the son of an Ethiopian immigrant father, drew attention to the statistic which is featured in a new integration report that reveals less than half of Syrian men have found employment after the same time period of being in Denmark.

"Unfortunately, we cannot afford to be surprised. When we pursue the same integration policy, then we also get the same results," said Tesfaye, noting that immigrants from countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, and China do far better than Middle Eastern migrants.

"It is no longer a matter of ramping the transfers up and down. Or amending some points in immigration policy. It is about changing the requirements for newcomers who will begin their lives in Denmark," said Tesfaye.

To tackle the issue, the Danish government will no longer offer newly arrived "refugees" social security benefits. Instead they will immediately have to find a job or be enrolled in a 37 hour a week integration program.