News / France

France has turned away over 3,400 refugees since Paris attacks

Tuesday, 22 December 2015 7:04 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 23 December 2015 4:00 AM ]

French Interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve (AFP Photo)

France has rejected 3,414 refugees from its borders since a state of emergency was introduced in the wake of the November terrorist attacks in Paris, where 130 people were killed.

They were refused entry "due to the risk they present to security and public order," said French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve on Tuesday.

France announced the state of emergency following the November 13 terrorist attacks. On November 19, the government announced it will extend its state of emergency by three months.

The move has permitted authorities to impose such measures as house-arresting hundreds of suspects and tightening border entries.

This AFP photo taken on December 21, 2015, shows refugees camping out at the Place de la Republique in Paris, France.

The European Union interior ministers, however, in September imposed a resettling plan that distributes refugees entering the EU among the member countries.

France's northern neighbor, Germany, has threatened to take legal action against any EU state that refuses to accept the refugees.

“If it cannot be done otherwise, things will be resolved through the appropriate legal channels,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Sunday. “Europe is a community of law.”

According to figures released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 933,776 refugees have reached Europe’s shores so far this year, while more than 3,619 people have died in their perilous journey to the continent.

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