Two Members of the European Parliament found themselves at the center of a racism scandal over the harassment of a colleague

Finnish MEP Sebastian Tynkkänen and his Danish colleague Kristoffer Storm are facing sanctions over allegations of racist remarks and online harassment. An official complaint regarding their actions has already been sent to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. 

The controversy erupted following a recent vote in the European Parliament on the creation of deportation centers for migrants. Videos from the chamber have circulated on social media showing MEPs chanting “Send them back” during the debate. Abir Al-Sahlani, a member of parliament of Iraqi origin, publicly stated that because of her colleagues’ aggressive behavior, she felt genuinely in danger within the walls of the parliament for the first time.

In response, Sebastian Tunkkunen sarcastically urged his colleague on his Instagram page to “cry a little more,” while Kristoffer Storm openly advised Al-Sahlaani to “go home.” Valerie Hayers, chair of the liberal Renew Europe political group, came to the MP’s defense, describing Storm and Tunkkunen’s statements as blatantly racist and formally calling on the European Parliament’s leadership to investigate the incident. The victim herself is currently considering filing a lawsuit alleging discrimination and harassment.

This was reported by Yle.

At the European Union summit, a heated dispute broke out between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over how to address the issue of illegal migration. 

At the same time, large-scale rallies by both supporters and opponents of migration took place in Rome.