US spreading xenophobia by demonizing migrants: IOM

The United States is spreading xenophobia by demonizing migrants, says International Organization for Migration (IMO), slamming GOP’s nominee Donald Trump for repeating his anti-migration stance.

On the last day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on Thursday, Trump reiterated that he will build a wall on the US-Mexico border to stop the flow of immigrants into the country.

At a news briefing in Geneva on Saturday, IOM spokesman Joel Millman censured the US and real estate tycoon, saying, "What is more concerning, and especially because it is from a leading country like the United States, is the encouragement of xenophobia in demonizing migrants, legal and illegal - legal and undocumented I should say - is extremely troubling. We think it is beneath the American people to pander this kind of prejudice.”

The IOM spokesman further noted that, since they are more vulnerable, migrants are more susceptible to being misused by the world politicians for political purposes.

“But we also know that politicians worldwide have learned that migrants are a very easy target, they have very little protection often in these countries, and it is just too tempting for some politicians to advance their careers at the cost of hurting these people. And unfortunately we don't think that is going to change soon."

Millman (pictured below) suggested that ideas such as building a barrier to stop migrants precede the appearance of Trump in the 2016 vote, yet have always been “counter-productive” as they empower criminals and increase corruption among officials.

"IOM (the International Organization for Migration) has been very clear on this matter for a long time, even before Donald Trump emerged as a candidate of one of the major parties in the United States. We feel that the propensity and the temptation to build barriers and inhibit migration is counter-productive, that it forces people to collaborate with ruthless criminal gangs, it raises the profits of those gangs, it gives them the resources to corrupt officials, on both sides of the border, wherever that border is. We have seen this in the European crisis now for four years, and we have been very critical of what countries like Hungary and elsewhere have proposed, and that doesn't change because it's a presidential candidate in the US.”

During his speech at the Quicken Loans Arena, Trump said he is “going to build a great border wall to stop illegal immigration, to stop the gangs and the violence, and to stop the drugs from pouring into our communities.”

Apart from that, he echoed his earlier remarks on a complete ban on Muslims entering the country, tacitly saying, “We must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time as proven vetting mechanisms have been put in place.”

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk