Belgian ambassador labels Turnbull’s Brussels comments ‘dangerous’

The Belgian Ambassador to Australia has labelled Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s comments as “dangerous”, after he linked the European refugee crisis with the deadly Brussels terror attacks.

During a speech at the Lowy Institute yesterday, Mr Turnbull speculated the Islamic State (ISIL) is taking advantage of the crisis to sneak extremists into Europe.

“The attacks in Brussels are an unfortunate reminder of how Islamist extremism appears to have reached a crisis point in Europe,” he said.

“Recent intelligence indicates ISIL is using the refugee crisis to send operatives into Europe.”

In response to the speech Belgium’s Ambassador to Australia, Jean-Luc Bodson, warned against linking the two problems.

“It’s dangerous because it’s precisely what (ISIL) wants – that we would make a confusion between terrorism and migrants and between terrorism and Islam,” he told ABC News.

Mr Bodson went on to say that it was his belief the terrorists behind the Brussels and Paris attacks were Europe born, not migrants.

“(They) are European-raised and born. Maybe from foreign origins, but they are Europeans.

“So it has nothing to do with the refugee crisis and I think that is the main danger to assimilate that.”