Put PIGS' HEADS on border fence to keep out migrants, says top politician
A HUNGARIAN politician has caused uproar by saying pigs’ heads should be impaled on border fences to deter migrants.
MEP Gyorgy Schopflin agreed pigs' heads could deter migrants
The besieged nation already put scarecrows made of vegetables on the frontier in a bid to fool arrivals into believing fences are manned - but MEP Gyorgy Schopflin suggested that a more macabre deterrent should be brought in.
The MEP said because pork is “haram”, or forbidden in Islam, it would keep out Muslim migrants.
Human Rights Watch director Andrew Stroehlein said the scarecrows would not deter refugees
On Friday, Human Rights Watch director Andrew Stroehlein condemned the placement of the vegetable-made masks on border fences and vowed migrants would still get in to Hungary.
The creepy-looking heads were said to be carved from sugar beets.
Mr Stroehlein tweeted: “Refugees are fleeing war & torture, Hungary. Your root vegetable heads will not deter them.”
Gyorgy Schopflin became embroiled in a Twitter row over the pigs' heads comments
Responding to Mr Stroehlein’s remark, Hungarian MEP Gyorgy Schopflin, who represents the ruling Fidesz party in the European Parliament, “agreed” that “pig’s head would deter more effectively”.
The two men then got into a heated Twitter row as others on the site piled in.
Pigs' head would deter more effectively
Mr Stroehlein said it was absolutely unacceptable for an MP to come up with such a proposal.
“Your words are disgusting. I would expect that from anonymous neo-Nazi trolls but you’re an MEP. Act like one,” he said accusing the politician of “spouting such xenophobic filth”.
The MEP responded saying Mr Schopflin’s remarks “were beginning to resemble hate speech”.
The MEP backed the pigs' head plan on Twitter
Others mocked the politician’s proposal, saying it is a “shame” people like him represented Hungary.
In a bid to counter illegal migrant-crossings Hungary put up a fence with barbed wire on a border with Serbia last year.
The nation also introduced a state of emergency in the country in March 2015 due to the migrant crisis.
The government is set to hold a crucial referendum on October 2, which will decide if the country will continue to accept the EU’s mandatory migrant quota system.