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10 Feb, 2017 11:42

EU wake-up call: ‘Majority of Europeans want Trump-style clampdown on immigration’

EU wake-up call: ‘Majority of Europeans want Trump-style clampdown on immigration’

President Trump promised an immigrant ban to vet new arrivals. He delivered on his pledge, and we see the majority of Americans approve. We see most Europeans also want such a policy, said Michael Modrikamen leader of the Belgian People's Party.

The international affairs think tank Chatham House released a poll suggesting the majority of people in ten EU countries would support an immigration ban on Muslim-majority countries. The survey was held before President Trump signed his controversial executive order doing just that in the US.

RT: We saw a few protests in Europe in response to Trump signing the immigration ban. But we also now have a poll showing people would support a halt in migrants from Muslim countries. Are you surprised the majority of people are alarmed by the issue?

Michael Modrikamen: I am not at all surprised because previous polls were indicating the same concern from Europeans all across Europe. It just confirms that European citizens still have good sense, know directly in which direction they want to go. Unfortunately our leaders – both at the EU level, but also at the national level - are totally detached from the concerns of the citizens. Indeed, there is what I would call a real abyss between what the citizens expect and what our politician leaders propose.

RT: Angela Merkel was an architect for an open-door Europe, wasn’t she?

MM: Yes, obviously she is also out of touch. You know what is surprising? That everybody looks appalled by the fact that Trump did first what he had promised to do. And this is what we expect also in Europe. He promised a ban in order to vet the people and put the proceedings. He delivered, and we see that the majority of Americans also approve [it.] And then we see that most Europeans would also expect such a policy.

RT: Yet, the ban is not in place…

MM: It is not in place because of judicial activism. You have to know that for sure part of the Americans do not approve it. But you have to know also that all the riots and all the events are for most of them organized and funded notably by Mr. [George] Soros, a billionaire with a very liberal agenda. We see also this kind of judicial activism. In this situation, they came and clearly picked up very progressive judge that came with a very astonishing judgment in order to suspend Mr. Trump’s order, which is also appalling. How can a judge, which is totally unelected at this stage just be able to suspend the decision made by the President, who is elected by the majority of Americans – at least, according to the system? We see by the way the same judicial activism in Europe with the Syrian visa in Belgium at the court of justice would like to have issued. The will of the people should prevail… It is not for the judges to rule, but the politicians.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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