US Vice President Joe Biden undoubtedly ruffled some feathers in Germany on Tuesday when he suggested the country was \u201cxenophobic\u201d and much less accommodating to immigrants compared to the United States.<\/p>\n
Speaking at an event held by the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, DC, Biden gave a speech in which he described three things the United States needs to do to \u201ckeep our edge\u201d in the global economy. One of these priorities is passing comprehensive immigration reform, but the way Biden chose to frame the issue has made headlines and raised plenty of eyebrows.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to pass an immigration bill,\u201d Biden said, as quoted by the Washington Examiner, which also obtained a recording of the segment. \u201cLook at Germany, look at the rest of the world. We\u2019re the only non-xenophobic nation in the world that\u2019s a major economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a tweet by Detroit News DC Bureau Chief David Shepardson, the journalist said Biden went even further than that and added other countries in the mix, claiming that Germany, Japan, and China are all \u201cnot nearly as welcoming of immigrants\u201d as the US.<\/p>\n
Biden reportedly did not expand on his analysis, leaving many to question just how truthful it was. As noted by the German edition of The Local, the notion that Germany is hostile to immigrants doesn\u2019t fit in with the facts inside Europe\u2019s largest economy.<\/p>\n
\nBiden: "We're the only non-xenophobic nation in the world that's a major economy"
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— David Shepardson (@davidshepardson) 10 juni 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n