Refugees get Pakistani chef after protesting over 'bad' Italian food

Decision comes after refugees complained the food they were served was 'no good' and 'cooked badly'

An Italian refugee centre is planning to bring in a Pakistani chef to cater for 200 migrants after they protested over the poor quality of Italian food.

The decision was made after protests last Wednesday, during which 30 refugees from the Coop Dimora d'Abramo refugee centre in Reggio Emilia occupied their local police headquarters complaining the food they were served was “no good” and “cooked badly”, Il Resto del Carlino reported.



Following the protest, Il Locomotore, which currently prepares the meal, promised to put in more effort to satisfy the refugees’ taste buds.

“We're talking with the reception centre at the moment and will bring in a new Pakistani chef, specialised in African cuisine to cook a meal for the migrants once a week,” Il Locomotore employee Paolo Masetti told Il Resto Del Carlino.

However, the decision has been criticised by many who think the refugees’ demands are unfair and excessive. Italy’s anti-immigration group has been especially vocal against the move, calling it ‘crazy’.

"No other European country would put up with this kind of protest from migrants," said Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy's anti-immigration Northern League.

On the other hand, regional councilor for Italy's Democratic Party, Mirko Tutino, defended the decision to get a new cook, saying it was “important to meet the needs of people fleeing war and poverty.”

“It's not about disrespect for Italian food, it's about food that isn't part of the asylum seekers' culture,” he added.



Currently, refugees are being served pasta and tomato sauce, followed by chicken and artichokes. All meals come with bread and a bottle of water.

Some refugees, however, complain that the food is cooked badly. “I like Italian food, but here it's not well cooked at all,” said Zeshan, a migrant from Pakistan who was among the protesters last week.

“Many of us have eaten Italian food before in England and Germany and it was better than this,” he added.

This article originally appeared on The Local