President Javier Milei expressed a stance on immigration and its impact on the societies that receive it, clearly distinguishing "immigration" from what he described as an "invasion".
In an interview given last Friday at Casa Rosada to liberal Louis Sarkozy, son of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, the Argentine president differentiated between immigrants who integrate into the local culture and those who do not.
"There is a significant issue with immigration, and it is whether the immigrant adapts to the culture in which you are living. If they adapt, there is no problem. The problem is that if they do not adapt to your culture, then it is an invasion; that is the difference," Milei stated during the conversation.
Las palabras del presidente.
Milei illustrated his position with a hypothetical case: "If you were in a neighborhood where 100 people live and 300 arrive with completely different ideas, and you grant them equal rights, in a vote they could change your cultural foundation. It is a less violent invasion, but it is still an invasion."
The president insisted that his argument doesn't seek to question immigration in general, but rather to warn about the risks that arise when communities do not share essential values with the society that receives them. "If it is immigration, we are fine. If it is an invasion, it is a totally different matter," he emphasized.
He also linked the issue to the sustainability of countries with "welfare states" and high social spending. "If, in the meantime, you also have a welfare state, you will have to start doing the math, because otherwise you could end up with a problem," he pointed out, alluding to the economic pressure that a massive arrival of people without labor or cultural integration can generate.
Javier Milei, presidente de Argentina.
Milei's statements come in a context in which Europe is facing a strong internal debate over the massive arrival of illegal immigrants from Africa and the Middle East, a situation that has caused political and social tensions.
With his definition, the Argentine president sought to draw a clear line, where immigration that respects and adapts to the local culture is welcome, while that which displaces or seeks to transform it constitutes a different phenomenon, which he described as an "invasion."
