MPs represent both voters and non-voters, Di Bartolomeo said. And he prefers the term “fellow citizens” to “foreigners”, according to an announcement on parliament’s website.

The comments came during an official visit by CNE members to parliament, where they discussed voting rights and harmonious living in the multicultural country with Di Bartolomeo.

Indirectly on the table was the failed 2015 referendum which would have given foreign residents the right to vote in national elections; 78% of Luxembourgers voted against the measure.

Despite a subsequent reform to Luxembourg’s nationality law which made it easier for many foreigners to obtain Luxembourg citizenship, some CNE members said “that foreign citizens are not sufficiently heard” by the country’s leaders.

Di Bartolomeo, a member of the LSAP, replied that “influence can also be achieved through engagement in civil society--trade unions and other organisations.”

The CNE is a statutory body which advises the government on matters concerning foreigners and integration. It has 34 members, including 22 foreign nationals and 12 members representing employer groups, labour unions, local councils, NGOs and refugees.