Emmanuel Macron’s remarks on migrants shock the left

In his speech on Monday evening in reaction to the current chaos situation in Afghanistan, Emmanuel Macron said that France should “anticipate” and “protect itself against significant irregular migratory flows”. As videos on social media show Afghans tempting, sometimes risking their lives, to leave their Taliban-held country and the international community worries about the future and freedom of Afghan women, the words shocked part of the political class.

The European deputy EELV Yannick Jadot, candidate for the ecological primary for the presidential election of 2022, said on Twitter “astonished to listen to Emmanuel Macron declaring that the women, men and children who flee the hell of the Taliban are d ‘first a threat, “irregular migrants”, before being victims and potentially refugees “. “And the asylum? And these children, these women, these men who flee from horror? », Launched the national secretary of EELV Julien Bayou. “Macron shames France,” said the environmentalist mayor of Grenoble Eric Piolle, another candidate for the primary.

A “sordid” response

During a televised address, the Head of State justified himself by explaining that these “significant irregular migratory flows would endanger those who use them and would feed trafficking of all kinds”. Emmanuel Macron also declared that “France is doing and will continue to do its duty to protect those who are most threatened (…) But Afghanistan will also need in the coming times its vital forces and Europe cannot alone assume the consequences of the current situation. “

“How to stunt France in a few seconds,” said LFI deputy from the North Adrien Quatennens, while his colleagues from Seine-Saint-Denis Clémentine Autain and Eric Coquerel denounced a “sordid” response. “” Irregular migratory flows “, it is therefore this term that the women and men who cling to the wings of planes in Kabul will have inspired Emmanuel Macron”, regretted the ex-LREM deputy Aurélien Taché, that the government had commissioned in 2017 with a report on integration before he distanced himself from the majority.

“Emmanuel Le Pen! “

“What cynicism. What a shame “was indignant the Socialist Senator Laurence Rossignol, while her colleague Rémi Féraud considered this intervention” worthy of a bad right-wing president “. We must “protect all those who now fall under the right of asylum,” said the parton of the PS Olivier Faure.

In front of the beginning of controversy, and while his remarks had been mocked by the whistleblower Edward Snowden with a lapidary tweet: “Emmanuel Le Pen!” “, The Head of State had clarified Monday shortly before midnight on Twitter, about his statements” that some want to divert “, that” France is and will continue to do its duty to protect those who are most threatened “. Last Friday, the Elysee Palace promised “an exceptional effort” to welcome Afghan personalities threatened for their commitment to human rights.