The rise of xenophobic, right-wing extremists intent on stoking bigotry and prejudice against foreigners in Europe and elsewhere has startled observers around the world—but former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton angered critics Thursday when she revealed her belief that the onus lies with European leaders to curb migration in order to appease those same extremists, rather than to protect the rights of asylum seekers.

In an interview with the Guardian, the 2016 presidential candidate perfectly illustrated the rift between so-called centrist Democrats and progressives as she suggested Europe should end its attempts to resettle the world's 25.4 million refugees whose home countries have become unlivable due to war, unrest, and poverty—frequently thanks to actions by the U.S. and its European allies.

"I think Europe needs to get a handle on migration because that is what lit the flame" of right-wing power in Europe, Clinton told the Guardian. "I admire the very generous and compassionate approaches that were taken particularly by leaders like Angela Merkel, but I think it is fair to say Europe has done its part, and must send a very clear message—'we are not going to be able to continue provide refuge and support'—because if we don't deal with the migration issue it will continue to roil the body politic."

Clinton's comments drew immediate criticism from European leaders and progressive Americans, who in addition to calling for Democrats to stand with refugees as they exercise their internationally-recognized right to seek asylum, denounced her remarks as a capitulation to extremists like President Donald Trump and his European counterparts.

Clintonism’s doctrine of granting major substantive policy concessions that cause substantial human suffering in exchange for political victories hasn’t changed much since the 1990s but I don’t think it’s where the Democratic Party base is now https://t.co/KJhOB4jVEQ — Tacchino è buono (@AdamSerwer) November 22, 2018

“I think Europe needs to get a handle on migration because that is what lit the flame” of white nationalism there, said @HillaryClinton. That is a sickening capitulation on her part. You don’t stop racism by giving in to racists. https://t.co/UbsYvRDv5c — Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) November 22, 2018

You don't defeat populism by bending to their rhetoric and beliefs. That just makes you a populist too. You fight populism by standing up for what you believe in, and defending why you think it's better than hate, fear, and division. — Emma Beals (@ejbeals) November 22, 2018

You don't defend progressive politics by curbing immigration, but by tackling the drivers of the immigration. You stand up to despots and tyrants, you try to address the conflicts that cause people to flee, and you try to provide greater equality of opportunity for all people. — Emma Beals (@ejbeals) November 22, 2018

Climate change, a crisis created by the developed world, is going to force poor people across the globe to move in order to survive. The approach Clinton is advocating will be a death sentence for millions and millions of people, and we should be clear about that. SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Never Miss a Beat. Get our best delivered to your inbox.





— Osita Nwanevu (@OsitaNwanevu) November 22, 2018

Clinton's remarks echoed Trump's frequent lies about the burden Central American immigrants have placed on the United States. The Intercept's Mehdi Hasan pointed out that while Europe—a continent of about 740 million people and some of the world's wealthiest countries—allowed about a million refugees to cross its borders in 2015, before numbers started to steadily decline, the vast majority of refugees are hosted by far less well-off countries.

One of the worst/privileged remarks uttered by Hillary Clinton in this deluded and dangerous interview on refugees is when she says “I think it is fair to say Europe has done its part”. WTF? 85% of the world’s refugees are hosted in developing countries!https://t.co/fc8xgr1xEo — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) November 22, 2018

Turkey hosted the greatest number of refugees as of 2016, according to the United Nations, followed by Pakistan, Lebanon, and Iran.

"We face not so much a crisis of numbers but of cooperation and solidarity—especially given that most refugees stay in the countries neighboring their war-torn homelands," U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said that year.

Clinton went on to criticize Trump's impropriety when he's demanded the U.S. accept fewer migrants and refugees, calling for a wall on the southern U.S. border and issuing his Muslim ban—despite the fact that she had just expressed a similar desire.