Job centres in Brussels are asking unemployed job seekers if they are willing to star in pornographic films, reports The Telegraph (paywall). Politicians have called for the question to be axed from a list for job seekers prepared by Actiris, which is the public employment agency in Brussels. Actiris can impose penalties on people refusing work, which has fuelled the controversy further.

The questionnaire asks actors and artists to indicate how happy they would be to perform in different types of work. The list includes radio dramas, short films and pornographic films. Actiris spokesman Romain Adam said the question was “not a proposal but a question.” Adam said the same questionnaire was being used in Flanders and Wallonia, which are the other federal regions of Belgium apart from Brussels. “If it is decided at the political level that this question should be removed, we will do so. But for the moment, no such decision has been taken,” Adam added.

“This is downright scandalous,” said Françoise De Smedt, who leads the Workers Party of Belgium in Brussels’ regional parliament. “This is a government service that should help job seekers find a decent job. Job seekers really should not be faced with such proposals. By the way, it’s also creating a number of very uncomfortable moments for Actiris advisers.”