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French Prime Minister Manuel Valls made the racist statement Friday that migrants and refugees “put the concept of Europe in great danger,” repeating his government's intention to prolong the state of emergency until the Islamic State group was defeated.
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Valls claimed Europe could not welcome refugees fleeing conflict zones anymore, warning "our societies will be totally destabilized,” in an interview with BBC Europe at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"If Europe is not capable of protecting its own borders, the very idea of Europe is being questioned."
Although the policy of welcoming refugees adopted by Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel last year was a demonstration of “courage,” in his opinion, Valls has taken a different stance to his neighbor.
He used the recent incidents in Cologne, where racist logic has seen migrants and refugees targeted as sexual assault perpetrators — by the media and others — to justify his arguments, without explicitly referring to the sexual assault incidents.
"We know clearly that after the Cologne incidents, that with the continuous flow (of people), not only to Germany but the countries of Northern Europe, Austria, the Balkans are confronted with this influx, that's why we need to find practical solutions for our borders,” he said.
As France actively supports air strikes on Syria, where many of the refugees come from, it is poorer countries, like Lebanon, that are accepting the vast majority of refugees.
On Friday, at least 21 people, including eight children, died when two boats sank off the Greek islands of Farmakonisi and Kalolimnos, the Greek coastguard said.
On the state of emergency implemented in France after the Paris attacks in November, Valls confirmed the government's intention to ask the Congress to prolong it again. A Nov. 10 bill, approved almost unanimously in Congress, had already extended it until Feb. 26.
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#Valls : l'#etatdurgence sera maintenu jusqu'à ce que le PS mène une politique de gauche.
— Madjid Messaoudene (@MadjidFalastine)
22 Janvier 2016
“The state of emergency will be maintained until the (governing) Socialist Party carries out left-wing policy.” Madjid Messaoudene (local opposition party councilor).
“As long as the threat is there, we must use all means possible ... until we can get rid of Daesh," he added, refering to the Islamic State group, allegedly responsible for the Paris attacks.
"In Africa, in the Middle East, in Asia we must eradicate, eliminate Daesh," he added, continuing the war-like discourse he is used to. "It is a total and global war that we are facing with terrorism," he added. "The war we are conducting must also be total, global and ruthless."
J'ai une suggestion pour Manuel Valls: on maintient l'état d'urgence jusqu'au prochain attentat. Juste pour montrer que ça ne sert à rien.
— Nicolas Henin ﺡ ✒️ (@nhenin75)
22 Janvier 2016
“I will suggest Manuel Valls maintain the state of emergency until the next attack. Just to show it is useless.”
Valls restera Premier ministre - avec les pleins pouvoirs - tant que le réchauffement climatique n'aura pas été éradiqué.
— Luc Peillon (@l_peillon)
22 Janvier 2016
“Valls will remain prime minister, with absolute authority, until global warming is erradicated.”
Despite warnings issued this week by a group of U.N. experts on human rights, as well as the French National Commission on Human Rights, President Francois Hollande confirmed Wednesday that he was prolonging the state of emergency until May 26.
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The day before, the Paris-based Human Rights League informed it will challenge the measure before the State Council, arguing the measure will basically result “in allowing the exceptional rule to go on indefinitely in the name of of the fight against terrorism, therefore giving up the rule of law for good.”
The French State Council has just annuled a house arrest ordered within the context of state of emergency.
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