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It is “practically impossible” to integrate Muslims into European society, Czech President Milos Zeman said Sunday, during a televised interview, less than two weeks after he said that Muslim groups are trying to “gradually control Europe” by sending refugees to the continent.
"The experience of Western European countries, which have ghettos and excluded localities shows that the integration of the Muslim community is practically impossible," the anti-immigration president said.
"Let them have their culture in their countries and not take it to Europe, otherwise it will end up like Cologne," he added, referring to the New Year's Eve assaults on women in Germany.
Zeman, 71, is the first popularly elected president in the largely secular Czech Republic. He came to office January 2013 and has since been outspoken against Islam, Muslims and immigration.
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Earlier this month, Zeman claimed the refugee influx into Europe was masterminded by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood party, saying the group was using money from several states in a bid to "gradually control Europe."
In late December, he joined a Christmas celebration event organized by a far-right party and paramilitary group known for anti-Islam and anti-immigration sentiments. During the event, Zeman told reporters that the surge in refugee arrivals was "an organised invasion."
According to a survey by the Pew Forum, there are approximately 19 million Muslims living in the European Union, making up 3.8 percent of the total population.
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More than 1 million refugees reached Europe in 2015, most of them fleeing war and violence in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
Zeman claims refugees use their children as “human shields” to guarantee their residence in Europe.
"(Children) serve as human shields for guys with iPhones to justify the wave of migrants," Zeman said in an interview with a local outlet in November. "Those hiding behind the children … in my opinion, do not deserve any compassion.”
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But refugees do not want to settle in the Czech Republic, an EU and NATO member of 10.5 million people. They choose to claim asylum in wealthier Germany and other western EU states.
WATCH: The World Today - The Refugee Trail: Syria to Europe
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