Prospective asylum minister Marjolein Faber has retracted her use of Nazi-era language on immigration, but insisted her concerns about the impact of asylum on the “demographics of the Netherlands” were well founded.

The PVV MP came under intense questioning over comments she made during a debate in the Senate four years ago, when she was rebuked by prime minister Mark Rutte for using the term omvolking, or population replacement.

Faber told a panel of MPs convened to run the rule over ministerial candidates that she recognised the word, derived from the German Umvolking, “carried terrible connotations with the past and Nazism”.

“The fact is that the demographics of the Netherlands are changing. It is very legitimate to have big concerns about it, and I have. But I realise that the words omvolking and replacement theory, a deliberate planned policy to alter or replace a population, is wrong and inappropriate.”

Faber said she had “no problem” taking back her words. “I don’t believe in a plan or conspiracy,” she said. “And my party and I despise everything to do with the Nazis and their ideology.

“The [intelligence agency] AIVD and [counter-terrorism agency] NCTV haven’t turned against replacement theory for nothing. I support that view and will not use those terms again.”

“Doing a Rutte”

Other MPs questioned if Faber was sincere about rejecting racist conspiracy theories given that she continued to voice alarm about the “phenomenon” of demographic change.

“We see in the big cities that demographic developments are beginning to take shape,” she told D66 MP Anne-Marijke Podt. “We can’t deny it, that’s just the facts.”

Stefan van Baarle, leader of the migrants’ rights party Denk, accused her of “doing a Rutte” by claiming that her “racist comments weren’t meant in a racist way”.

Van Baarle pointed out she had “deliberately referred to a replacement agenda” during a debate and posed alongside Wilders holding up a banner saying “no Arnhemistan” shortly after the Muslim former Labour MP, Ahmed Marcouch, was appointed as mayor of Arnhem.

“Can Mrs Faber acknowledge that these kind of comments about replacing people and casting suspicion on people with a different origin are racist and that she has spent years spreading racist conspiracy theories?” he asked.

“I used the term omvolking in relation to open borders and I was concerned about it,” Faber replied. “There is huge pressure on our society and that simply needs to end.”

Strict asylum policy

Faber said she would work to proved “dignified” accommodation for asylum seekers as migration minister, but also strive “200%” to realise a “strict” policy that brings asylum numbers down rapidly.

“I’ve said before: our society can no longer handle it,” she said. “We’re approaching the limit of what we can do. There is huge pressure on various sectors, such as the housing market and healthcare, and we can’t go on like this.”

She said she would continue the efforts of the outgoing junior asylum minister, Eric van der Burg, to ease the pressure on the asylum reception centre in Ter Apel by asking local mayors to provide alternative facilities, even though the PVV has pledged to abolish the “spreading law” that sets a minimum number of refugees for each council.

She also admitted that an infamous tweet she sent five years ago claiming that a knife attacker in Groningen had a “north African appearance” was wrong.

A video clip of Faber insisting that the tweet was correct (“mijn tweet klopt“) even after it had been directly contradicted by police went viral at the time. Faber admitted for the first time during Monday’s panel hearing that her tweet was incorrect: “Mijn tweet klopt niet“.