Karl Lagerfeld under fire for Holocaust comment condemning Germany for taking in 'worst enemies' of Jews

Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld has lashed out at his home country of Germany, criticising the government for accepting Muslim refugees. During a recent interview with French talk show Salut les Terriens, the renowned fashion designer slammed German Chancellor Angela Merkel's open door policy which allowed more than 1 million refugees entry into the country.

"One cannot – even if there are decades between them – kill millions of Jews so you can bring millions of their worst enemies in their place," the 80-year-old said, referring to the country's Nazi past and horrific treatment of Jews.

"I know someone in Germany who took a young Syrian in and after four days said, 'The greatest thing Germany invented was the Holocaust'," he added.

Lagerfeld himself was born in Nazi-occupied Hamburg during Adolf Hitler's reign and has been witness to the effects of the regime. Speaking out against the refugee policy in Germany, he blamed Merkel, describing it as her effort to look good to the public.

"Merkel had already millions and millions (of immigrants) who are well-integrated and who work, and all is well... she had no need to take another million to improve her image as the wicked stepmother after the Greek crisis," he said. "Suddenly, we see the pastor's daughter," he added, making reference to the chancellor's father, who was a Protestant pastor.

The fashion icon then went on to offer France as an example to support his comments, describing it as "the land of human rights which has taken, I don't know, 10,000 or 20,000".

Following the interview, France's Higher Audiovisual Council announced that it would open an investigation into the matter and the talk show after the TV station received over 700 complaints against Lagerfeld.