German main opposition leader sparks criticism for remarks about asylum seekers

GENEVA

The leader of Germany's center-right opposition bloc faced heavy criticism Thursday for remarks about asylum seekers receiving dental service in Germany.

“People go crazy when they see that 300,000 asylum seekers have been rejected but do not leave the country, get full benefits, get full medical care," Friedrich Merz said on a talk show.

"They sit at the dentist's and have their teeth redone, and the German citizens next door can't get an appointment," he said.

Critics accused Merz of resorting to right-wing populism and attempting to stir up anti-migrant sentiments with the remarks.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser denounced the comments and called them "pathetic populism on the backs of the weakest."

Faeser emphasized that migrants are only eligible for health care if they are acutely ill or in pain.