French far-right presidential candidate offers limited welcome to Ukrainians, says Arab refugees still unwelcome

FILE PHOTO: French far-right commentator Eric Zemmour, leader of far-right party "Reconquete!" and candidate for the 2022 French presidential election, visits the 58th International Agriculture Fair (Salon de l'Agriculture) at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, March 4, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) - A French far-right presidential contender, on the back foot over past support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Ukrainians with family links to France should be given visas, unlike those fleeing conflicts in Arab Muslim nations.

Zemmour warned an "emotional response" risked unleashing a flood of refugees across Europe after the European Union agreed to give Ukrainians who flee the war the right to stay and work in the 27-nation bloc for up to three years.