France Says Children Separated From Parents in U.S. 'Shocking'

(Bloomberg) -- Images of immigrant children being separated from their parents at the U.S. border with Mexico are “shocking, ” the French government’s spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said on Tuesday.

“We don’t have the same model of civilization,” Griveaux said during an interview on France 2 television. “Obviously we don’t share certain values. These pictures are obviously shocking. ”

Griveaux was reacting to the U.S. policy of separating immigrant children from parents who illegally cross the Mexican border. Trump administration officials say the policy is intended to deter undocumented immigrants from making the trek to the U.S. border with their children.

The U.S. separated about 1,995 children from their parents and detained them between mid-April and May 31, according to the Office of Refugee Resettlement at the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for their care.

“I don’t want what’s happening in the U.S. to happen in Europe,” Griveaux said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Geraldine Amiel in Paris at gamiel@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Vidya Root at vroot@bloomberg.net

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