What's Worse: European Migrant Crisis Or Trump's Separation Policy?

24 June 2018, 14:06 | Updated: 24 June 2018, 15:18

Donald Trump faced criticism for the separation of children with their parents, but Nigel Farage doesn't think it is nearly as bad as the number of migrants who have died attempting to come into Europe.

The French President Emmanuel Macron has called for EU countries to be fined if they refuse to accept migrants.

Ahead of an EU summit on migration policy, he said: "You can't have countries that massively benefit from the solidarity of the European Union and that massively voice their national selfishness when it comes to migrant issues."

But Italy's interior minister said that Macron should "stop with the insults and show generosity with deeds opening the many French ports."

Nigel Farage pointed out criticism of Donald Trump's zero-tolerance policy of people illegal crossing the US-Mexico border.

"What fascinates me is, people are saying Trump and America are cruel and heartless in the way they are dealing with this, but somehow the Europeans are soft and cuddly," he said.

"Well I don't think so, and let me tell you why.

"Last year, we know that 5,000 people drowned crossing the Mediterranean.

"The year before that it was as similar number.

"Some estimates are that over 30,000 people have died in the last few years trying to get into Europe.

"I would actually argue that Trump's policy leads to far less human suffering than that of the European Union."

The Trump administration reversed a decision to separate families who enter the United States illegally after it resulted in thousands of children being taken away from their parents and locked in cages.

The white House announced a zero-tolerance policy to people crossing the US-Mexico border illegally, and will criminally prosecute everyone who did.

But the policy resulted in more than two thousand children being separated from their parents.

President Trump reversed the policy in an executive order on Wednesday.