EU parliamentarian Abir Al-Sahlani (C) has filed a police report against Danish EU member Kristoffer Storm from the Denmark Democrats, whom she accuses of a racist hate crime following a widely discussed conflict on social media. The background is a debate in the European Parliament on migration policy, where actions by right-leaning members sparked strong reactions from the left.

The conflict began after several right-wing populist and nationalist EU parliamentarians chanted ‘Send them back’ after a vote on stricter rules regarding returns and deportations within the EU. Al-Sahlani, who was born in Iraq and represents the Centre Party in the European Parliament, reacted strongly and criticized the behavior in a speech before parliament.

In her speech, Al-Sahlani described the event as an attack on powerless people and said she had never before felt so unsafe in parliament. She argued that the chants were not directed at political opponents, but at people with a migration background.

After a clip from her speech was spread on social media, two parliamentarians from right-conservative groups responded. Finnish EU parliamentarian Sebastian Tynkkynen wrote ‘Cry more’ while Kristoffer Storm wrote that Al-Sahlani ‘should go home,’ which she perceived as a racist message connected to her background.

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Al-Sahlani chose to pursue legal action and filed a police report against Storm in Sweden. She states that she did not report Tynkkynen because, according to her, it was more uncertain how Swedish authorities would handle a statement from a foreign politician on social media.

Storm rejects the allegations and says the comment was not racist. He has claimed that the phrase referred to her political reactions and not her origin or ethnicity. According to him, the comment was about her leaving the plenary if she found the situation so distressing.

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Tynkkynen has also denied that his comment was racist and called the accusations false. He has stated he is considering his own legal action in response to the accusations against him.

Calls for Action

The case has led to increased calls for disciplinary measures within the European Parliament. The Renew Europe group, of which the Centre Party is a part, has urged parliamentary president Roberta Metsola to investigate the incident and consider sanctions.

Metsola’s office has said that parliament takes reports of behaviors threatening members’ dignity and safety seriously.

A Symbolic Conflict Over Europe’s Migration Debate

The dispute reflects the deepening divisions in the European Parliament regarding migration, integration, and national identity. Right-wing parties and migration-skeptical groups have gained greater influence in the parliament in recent years, while issues of racism and discrimination have become increasingly central in the political debate.

For Al-Sahlani, the conflict is about more than a single comment. She has stated that the reactions reveal a development where groups with minority backgrounds risk being targeted in European politics.

Storm and his political supporters, on the other hand, believe her interpretation of the comment is politically motivated and that the statement was taken out of context.

The police investigation will now decide whether the statement can be considered a crime under Swedish hate crime law.

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