AN MEP has been slammed for suggesting placing pigs’ heads across Hungary’s border to dissuade refugees from entering the country.

Hungarian politician Gyorgy Schopflin, of the nation’s ruling Fidesz party, made the incendiary comments in response to criticism of his country’s attitude towards refugees by a prominent human rights campaigner.

3 Slammed ... Hungarian MEP Gyorgy Schopflin Credit: Getty Images

Human Rights Watch director Andrew Stroehlein slammed Hungary’s use of eerie masks fashioned from vegetables to ward off migrants at the border in a tweet on Friday.

Hungarian officials have placed the masks across the nation’s vast border fence in an attempt to impede the movement of refugees seeking passage to countries in Western Europe.

While it appeared to work for a time, many refugees still attempt the dangerous journey.

Mr Stroehlein tweeted: “Refugees are fleeing war & torture, Hungary.

“Your root vegetable heads will not deter them.”

3 Blast ... 'your root vegetables will not deter migrants' Credit: EPA

Indignant, Mr Schopflin replied: “Might do so.

“Human images are haram.

“But agree, pig’s head would deter more effectively.”

Mr Schopflin’s words have attracted criticism from Mr Stroehlein among others, who accuse the MEP of “spouting xenophobic filth”.

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Speaking directly to the MEP, Mr Stroehlein said: “Your words are disgusting.

“I would expect that from anonymous neo-Nazi trolls but you’re an MEP.

“Act like one.”

He continued: “You are an embarrassment to Hungary, to Europe & to humanity.”

Meanwhile, Mr Schopflin said criticisms of him were “beginning to resemble hate speech”, refusing to apologise.

3 Schopflin ... 'you are an embarrassment to Hungary, to Europe & to humanity' Credit: Reuters

According to government statistics, just 146 applications to Hungary were approved out of 177,135 submissions in 2015.

The country declared a state of emergency in March last year in response to the European refugee crisis, and deployed 1,500 extra security officers to the border to deny refugees entry.

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