GETTY Joe Formaggio promised to build a pig farm next to migrants' mosques

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More than 160,000 asylum seekers have been housed in Italy since the start of 2014, according to date from the interior ministry. Italy has been one of the first destinations along migrants typical routes for months, receiving thousands of new arrivals who continue to risk their lives to cross the Mediterranean on rickety smuggler’s boats.

But many have been critical of the welcoming of so many refugees - and now one Mayor from the town of Albettone in Vento has launched a scathing attack on the new arrivals. Speaking on La Zanzara on Radio 24, Joe Formaggio said: “Immigrants? If they send them to us, we will protect our houses. We are proud to be racists.”

GETTY More than 160,000 asylum seekers have been housed in Italy since the start of 2014

GETTY Italy has been one of the first destinations along migrants' typical routes

The mayor claims his city “exports brains and imports n*****s” who "are less intelligent than us, they are inferior”. Amid possible plans to open a mosque in the city, he claimed he would open a "large farm of pigs if they open a mosque here”. Mr Formaggio added: ”If refugees are sent here to Albettone, the barricades in Gorino will be seen as nothing. “Here we do not want immigrants, n*****s or gypsies. They have a lower IQ: history proves it.

Borders across the world Sat, March 19, 2016 See the structures that are intended to prevent migrants from crossing the borders across the globe. Play slideshow EPA 1 of 26 Hungarian Army patrol the area along the temporary border fence on the Hungarian-Serbian border

Here we do not want immigrants, n*****s or gypsies. They have a lower IQ: history proves it. Mayor of Albettone Joe Formaggio

“We have a shooting range and the highest number of licenses to carry weapons in the whole Veneto region. “And we do not want anyone to come and bother us. They risk their lives around us.” The comments were deemed so strong that the Secretary General of the Vicenza Chamber has been forced to intervene.

GETTY Mr Formaggio said he would oppose plans to build a mosque in his town