Photo credit: Arab News
French President Emmanuel Macron has said immigration is not a “bad” thing.
AFP reports that he said this on Saturday in a thinly veiled riposte to the country’s hardline interior minister, who has vowed to crack down on migration.
Macron said, “Is immigration from Africa bad in general? In truth, not totally.”
On Friday and Saturday, Macron hosted dozens of leaders of French-speaking countries for the “Francophone” summit. It was the first time the event had been held in France in 33 years. He hopes the gathering will help boost French influence in a world beset by crises, particularly in Africa.
The new right-wing government has pledged to clamp down on immigration and fight people traffickers. Bruno Retailleau, the country’s new interior minister, has vowed new migration rules to “protect the French.” he added that he did not think immigration was essential to France.
