Donald Trump and the Mexico Wall: Angela Merkel Denounces 'Putting Up Walls' During Mexico Visit
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has recently denounced the construction of border walls in attempting to solve the problems concerning immigration, challenging U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to do just that across the Mexican border.
During her visit to Mexico City on Saturday, June 10, Merkel was speaking on a panel discussion with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto when she argued that putting up walls along a country's borders fails to address the real source of immigration issues.
"Obviously the main reason for people leaving must be addressed on site first, which means putting up walls and cutting oneself off will not solve the problem," Merkel said, according to a translation by Reuters.
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"It's an issue you can study well in the history of China with the (Great) Wall of China, you can study it in the history of the Roman Empire. Essentially, only when great empires have managed to forge sensible relationships with their neighbors and to manage migration has it been a success," she added.
Merkel even suggested that the solution to handling large-scale migration is the improvement of the living standards and the opportunities available in the affected areas.
Merkel, who lived at a time when her own country was divided by a wall, has led the German government's efforts to welcome a large number of refugees from Syria's civil war. She has sometimes received criticism in Germany for accepting more than a million refugees since 2015, and her actions were also criticized by the likes of Trump and the far-right politicians of Europe.
At a news conference with President Nieto in Mexico City, Merkel also endorsed Mexico's free trade position ahead of talks of renegotiation between Mexico, the United States and Canada concerning the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
"I hope these talks are a big success," Merkel said. "And I'd like to offer thanks that the interests of German companies are also being taken into consideration."
President Trump has previously and repeatedly criticized the trade agreement, and even threatened to withdraw from NAFTA if renegotiations are not favorable to the United States.
