Anger at ‘send them back’ chants by rightwing MEPs after EU migration law vote

Rightwing MEPs have come under fire after they celebrated a vote aimed at increasing deportations across the EU with chants of “send them back”, leading other lawmakers to respond with cries of “shame on you”. The heated confrontation in the European parliament came on Wednesday after lawmakers voted 418 to 218 to approve controversial measures aimed at increasing deportations of undocumented people. The overhaul has been widely criticised by rights groups, including Amnesty International France, who this week described the plans as “absurd, cruel and discriminatory”, and 16 UN experts who recently outlined more than a dozen ways in which the rules could contravene international human rights. The plans include measures under which people could be detained for up to two years or sent to offshore centres that have been described as potential “human rights black holes”, while also allowing ICE-style immigration to gain a foothold in Europe. On Wednesday, as an alliance of mostly centre-right and far-right lawmakers joined forces to back the plans, the approval was met with hearty applause in the parliament. Many rightwing MEPs jumped to their feet, a handful of them pumping their fists in the air as they chanted “send them back.” Seconds later, a second chorus – this time from politicians on the centre-left and left – responded by chanting “shame on you”. …