President Donald Trump of the United States has reportedly urged Spain to build a wall in the Sahara Desert to stop African migrants reaching the European country.
According to Independent UK, Trump gave this advice during a meeting with Spain’s Foreign Minister, Josep Borrell.
“The border with the Sahara can’t be longer than ours is with Mexico,” the US president is said to have declared, referring to the ease with which Spain can build the suggested wall.
Spanish diplomats, however, pointed out that the Sahara Desert stretched for 3,000 miles.
At a lunch event at Madrid’s Club Siglo XXI, Borrell told attendees the exchange had come during his trip to the US in June, El Pais reported.
A Spanish foreign ministry spokesman confirmed that Borrell had said what was reported, “We can confirm that’s what the minister said, but we won’t be making any further comment on the minister’s remarks.
Whether Trump was joking, it is not clear, and Spanish press reports admitted the context of the remarks was unknown.
Spain has been battling a migration crisis.
According to the International Organisation for Migration, more than 33,600 migrants and refugees have arrived by sea so far this year, and 1,723 have died in the attempt.
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