France Is Still Accepting 30,000 Refugees While Some American Politicians Want To Ban Them | HuffPost

The French president vowed to ensure the country's safety, but didn't back away from plans to take in refugees.

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French President François Hollande said Wednesday that he remains committed to taking in refugees following a wave of deadly attacks in Paris that killed at least 129 people last week.

"Some have wanted to link the influx of refugees to Friday's acts of terror," Hollande said in a speech to French mayors. "The truth is that this link exists because the people of Syria and Iraq have fled because they are martyred by the same people who attack us today." He added that 30,000 refugees "will be welcomed in the next two years."

Hollande expressed his gratitude to mayors who have welcomed refugees from the "jungle" of Calais, a coastal town in the north of France where thousands of refugees are encamped and living in squalor.

He said France has a simultaneous duty to ensure "humanity for refugees and protection of the French people."

"I know your worries," Hollande said. "We also have to verify people who are coming onto the European territory and into France to make sure there are zero risks for our country. So we will be executing necessary verification before accepting any refugees onto our soil."

He added that asylum laws allow France to accept or deny people seeking asylum based on the threat level they pose. "That's how we will ensure the security of France while staying true to our values," he said.

The attacks have caused backlash in the U.S. as well. More than half of U.S. governors put out calls to stop the country from admitting refugees. President Barack Obama announced in September that the U.S. would accept 10,000 Syrian refugees this fiscal year.

Clarification: Language has been amended to more accurately describe the location of Calais.

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Paris Attacks

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A picture taken on Nov. 16 shows a portrait of Marie and Mathias, victims of the Paris attacks, at the Place de la Comedie in Montpellier. (credit:PASCAL GUYOT via Getty Images)

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Britain's Union Flag flies at half mast above Portcullis House in front of the clock face of Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) in central London on Nov. 16, in memory of the victims of the Paris attacks. (credit:NIKLAS HALLE'N via Getty Images)

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Britain's Union Flag flies at half mast above the Houses of Parliament in central London on Nov. 16, in memory of the 129 victims of the Paris attacks. (credit:NIKLAS HALLE'N via Getty Images)

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People gather to observe a minute's silence outside the Le Carillon restaurant on Nov. 16 in memory of the victims of the Paris terror attacks. (credit:Thierry Orban via Getty Images)

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People gather outside Notre Dame cathedral during a ceremony to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks on Nov. 15, 2015 in Paris, France. (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)

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Crowds gather on Nov. 15 to view flowers on the pavement near the scene of the Bataclan Theatre terrorist attack. (credit:Jeff J Mitchell via Getty Images)

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People pause for thought at Place de la Republique as France observes three days of national mourning for the victims of the terror attacks on Nov. 15, 2015 in Paris (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images). (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)

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Flowers are placed beside a bullet hole at 'Le Carillon' restaraunt on Rue Bichat following Fridays terrorist attack on Nov.15 in Paris, France. (credit:Marc Piasecki via Getty Images)

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The sails of the Sydney Opera House are illuminated in the colours of the French flag on Nov. 14 in Sydney, Australia. (credit:Cameron Spencer via Getty Images)

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Ultra Orthodox Jewish men pass as Jerusalem's Old City wall is illuminated with the colors of the French national flag to show solidarity for the victims of the Paris attacks on Nov. 15, in Jerusalem, Israel. (credit:Lior Mizrahi via Getty Images)

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Roses are pictured in bullet holes in the window of a Japanese restaurant next to the cafe 'La Belle Equipe', Rue de Charonne, in Paris on Nov. 14. (credit:LOIC VENANCE via Getty Images)

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A woman cries near Le Petit Cambodge restaurant, the day after a deadly attack on November 14, 2015 in Paris, France. At least 120 people have been killed and over 200 injured, 80 of which seriously, following a series of terrorist attacks in the French capital. (credit:Antoine Antoniol via Getty Images)

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People leave floral tributes at the main entrance of Le Carillon restaurant on Nov. 14 in Paris. (credit:David Ramos via Getty Images)

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People pay tribute outside Le Petit Cambodge restaurant, the day after a deadly attack on November 14, 2015 in Paris, France. At least 120 people have been killed and over 200 injured, 80 of which seriously, following a series of terrorist attacks in the French capital. (credit:Antoine Antoniol via Getty Images)

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Empty seats are seen at a cafe during lunch time in Paris, France, on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015. French President Francois Hollande blamed Islamic State militants for coordinated strikes in Paris that left 127 dead, bringing the conflict with the radical group to the heart of the Western world. (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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A boy looks at the floral tributes that have been laid in front of 'Le Carillon' restaurant on November 14, 2015 in Paris, France. At least 120 people have been killed and over 200 injured, 80 of which seriously, following a series of terrorist attacks in the French capital. (credit:Pierre Suu via Getty Images)

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Mourners gather in front of the Petit Cambodge and Le Carillon restaurants on Nov. 14. (credit:Jeff J Mitchell via Getty Images)

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Police officers patrol in Montpellier on Nov. 14. (credit:PASCAL GUYOT via Getty Images)

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Bullet holes and marks are seen on the windows of the Cafe Bonne Biere restaurant on Nov. 14, 2015 in Paris. (credit:David Ramos via Getty Images)

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Flags of the NATO member countries are at half mast to show solidarity with France in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 14. (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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People take pictures on their phones as the London Eye is lit up in the colours of the French flag on Nov. 14. (credit:Chris Ratcliffe via Getty Images)

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The Palace Albania building is lit in the colors of the French flag on Nov. 14. (credit:ANDREJ ISAKOVIC via Getty Images)

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The White Tower, symbol of the city of Thessaloniki, is lit with the colors of the French national flag on Nov. 14. (credit:SAKIS MITROLIDIS via Getty Images)

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Palestinians arrange candles to spell, Paris, during a candlelight vigil outside the French Cultural Center in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Nov. 14. (credit:ABBAS MOMANI via Getty Images)

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Youths hold candles in the Piazza del Popolo in Rome on on Nov. 14, 2015, during a vigil a day after deadly the attacks in Paris. (credit:TIZIANA FABI via Getty Images)

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A medic tends to a man after an attack near the Boulevard des Filles-du-Calvaire Nov. 13, 2015, in Paris, France. (credit:Thierry Chesnot via Getty Images)

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French Red Cross rescue workers evacuate an injured person near the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris. (credit:DOMINIQUE FAGET via Getty Images)

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Medics move a wounded man near the Boulevard des Filles-du-Calvaire. (credit:Thierry Chesnot via Getty Images)

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Spectators wait on the pitch of the Stade de France stadium after explosions were heard.

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Football fans leave the Stade de France stadium. (credit:FRANCK FIFE via Getty Images)

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Football fans talk to a policeman securing an area outside the Stade de France stadium. (credit:FRANCK FIFE via Getty Images)

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Police and rescuers are seen outside a cafe-brasserie in Paris' 10th arrondissement. (credit:KENZO TRIBOUILLARD via Getty Images)

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President Barack Obama speaks to the press after the Paris attacks. (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)

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An injured man is evacuated on a stretcher near the Bataclan concert hall. (credit:DOMINIQUE FAGET via Getty Images)

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People are evacuated by bus, near the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris, on November 14, 2015. More than 100 people were killed in a mass hostage-taking at a Paris concert hall on November 13 and many more were feared dead in a series of bombings and shootings, as France declared a national state of emergency. (credit:FRANCOIS GUILLOT via Getty Images)

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French officials and medics work near Le Petit Cambodge restaurant in the 11th district after a drive-by shooting killing 11 people, November 14, 2015, Paris, France. (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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Police forces and forensic experts gather near the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris, on November 14, 2015. (credit:MARTIN BUREAU via Getty Images)

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French officials and medics work near Le Petit Cambodge restaurant in the 11th district after a drive-by shooting killing 11 people, November 14, 2015, Paris, France. (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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