French Parliament Suspends Session As MP Tells Black Lawmaker To 'Go Back To Africa' During Migration Debate

The French Parliament suspended its session after a far-right member of parliament shouted at his black colleague, telling him to "go back to Africa.”

What Happened: Grégoire de Fournas told his colleague Carlos Martens Bilongo that "they should go back to Africa" as the parliamentary session was being broadcast to the public on Thursday, reported Reuters. 

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The comments from the member of Marine Le Pen‘s National Rally party caused a state of commotion and invited significant criticism. Fournas, and his party, said that he spoke nothing wrong.

Fournas also argued that his remark had not been aimed at Bilongo but at migrants trying to reach Europe by sea.

He “obviously spoke about the migrants transported in boats by the NGOs,” Le Pen tweeted. 

“There is no room for racism in our democracy. The Bureau of the National Assembly will convene (on Friday) and should decide on necessary sanction,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told reporters after the incident.

Bilongo said the comment was “shameful," adding, “today, I was sent back to my skin color. I was born in France. I am a French deputy.”

President Emmanuel Macron‘s Centrist Party also demanded that Fournas resign and the left-wing Nupes alliance said he should be expelled.

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