US President Donald Trump has claimed that Paris will become a “Muslim city very soon,” blaming immigration for the wave of protests and violence sweeping France and renewing his criticism of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said he had previously warned Macron that France was making a serious mistake by allowing large numbers of migrants into the country.
The US president argued that France’s immigration policies were responsible for the unrest, urging Macron and other European leaders to tighten border controls and remove criminals.
“I told Emmanuel you should close up your borders,” Trump said, adding that the United States had taken steps to restrict immigration while France had failed to do so.
Trump also dismissed suggestions that the demonstrations were primarily driven by deteriorating education conditions and economic grievances.
“What’s happening in France has to do with immigration, not schools or anything else,” he said, reiterating his position that migration was the underlying cause of the disturbances.
His remarks followed a weekend of widespread demonstrations across Paris and other French cities, initially fuelled by anger over rising living costs, education conditions and dissatisfaction with government policies.
Although most demonstrators protested peacefully, violence erupted in several locations, with rioters setting fires, looting businesses and clashing with police in some of France’s worst unrest in years.
Macron condemned the destruction and pledged to hold those responsible accountable, while acknowledging that many protesters had legitimate economic and social grievances.
French authorities have attributed much of the violence to radical left-wing groups and criminal elements. Trump’s assertion that immigration caused the unrest has not been substantiated.
The Republican president has repeatedly portrayed immigration as a threat to European stability, making tougher border enforcement and deportations central themes of his political agenda.
