Asylum crisis: “We can’t keep millions of pigs here” comments Demir

Speaking with Knack magazine the politician was keen to indicate that Flanders cannot cope with the influx of refugees but also referred to the pressure on open spaces.

“Our open spaces and our services are under pressure in many ways: reception place capacity for refugees, population growth and livestock numbers. It’s possibly a strange comparison but we can’t keep millions of pigs here. I can’t create extra plots of land.  It’s a fact, in Flanders we can’t do everything”.

The use of the word “pigs” has upset many.  Some politicians believe the minister was comparing refugees to pigs.

“Despicable.  Words matter” says green co-leader Jeremie Vaneeckhout.  “Linking migration to a lack of space is wrong and not based on anything.  To try and hide a lack of policy with regard to limits on new concrete surfaces at the expense of refugees is unprecedented”.

Floor leader of the far left PVDA in the Flemish parliament, Jos D’Haese,  labelled  the pronouncement “disgusting”. “Again and again setting

people against each other, even when we are talking about refugees sleeping in freezing conditions .  This is a conscious strategy.”

Flemish Christian democrat leader Sammy Mahdi, a coalition partner of Ms Demir’s governing Flemish nationalist N-VA in the Flemish administration spoke of a foul comparison adding: “The irregular influx of economic migrants must be dealt with in a forthright manner.  It’s needed to safeguard the reception network for people who are in need of protection”.

Ms Demir says she never equated asylum seekers to pigs and challenges the Christian democrats and greens, who are in the federal government, to explain why so many people, even children, need to spend the night on the streets”.