Swedish MEP Files Police Complaint Over Deportation Chants
A Swedish MEP filed a police complaint against a Danish colleague for alleged racist hate speech after he told her to "go home" following heated debates over EU deportation policy.
The controversy erupted on June 17 after the European Parliament approved the Return Regulation, the European Union’s most stringent migration reform in years designed to accelerate the removal of illegal immigrants. According to Brussels Signal, right-wing MEPs celebrated the vote’s passage with chants of “send them back,” sparking angry counter-protests from left-wing members who shouted “shame on you.”
The legislation passed after the centre-right European People’s Party aligned with the European Conservatives and Reformists and other right-leaning groups, fracturing the centrist alliance that had previously dominated EU migration policy.
Abir Al-Sahlani, a Swedish MEP representing the Centre Party in the Renew Europe group, condemned the parliamentary scenes. Born in Basra, Iraq, Al-Sahlani claimed she had never felt as threatened in the chamber. She characterized the right-wing chants as targeting ordinary migrants rather than political adversaries, stating the outcry was directed at people whose only offense was seeking a better life in Europe.
Kristoffer Storm, a Danish MEP from the Denmark Democrats serving in the ECR group, responded online by telling Al-Sahlani she “should go home.” That remark prompted Al-Sahlani to file a formal police complaint in Sweden alleging racist and hateful speech, as reported by The Guardian.
The complaint specifically targets Storm. Al-Sahlani told the British newspaper that Swedish authorities were uncertain how to process a separate “cry more” social media post from a Finnish MEP. She expressed both sadness and disappointment at the state of European democracy and the conduct of her parliamentary colleagues.
Storm has firmly rejected the racism allegations, insisting his comment was neither intended as racist nor reasonably interpretable as such. He clarified that telling Al-Sahlani to “go home” meant she should leave the chamber to reflect on the democratic outcome of the vote, not a reference to her ethnicity or birthplace. Al-Sahlani dismissed this explanation, telling Politico the remark constituted racial exclusion. Storm said he takes defamatory accusations of racism seriously.
Valérie Hayer, leader of the Renew Europe group, backed Al-Sahlani and condemned Storm’s comment along with the “cry more” post from Sebastian Tynkkynen, a Finnish MEP from the Finns Party, as racist and disgraceful. Both Storm and Tynkkynen are members of the ECR group.
Hayer wrote to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola demanding disciplinary measures and declaring that racism has no place in EU institutions.
Metsola’s office responded that there is zero tolerance for actions undermining the respect owed to MEPs or the dignity of the institution. Parliamentary services were investigating the incident, which officials described as regrettable.
On July 6, Metsola addressed the parliament at the opening of the July plenary session, condemning the aggressive chanting, jeering, finger-pointing and filming of members that occurred. She stated that a line had been crossed during the previous plenary session and promised her office would take appropriate action to prevent such scenes from recurring.
The clash highlights deepening divisions within the European Parliament over migration policy as right-wing parties gain ground and challenge the political establishment on border control and deportation enforcement.
With information from Brussels Signal
