Washington, Oct 20 : Blaming immigration for the ongoing widespread protests in Paris, United States President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) claimed that Paris would soon become a “Muslim city”, criticising French President Emmanuel Macron for not closing the country’s borders.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Monday (local time), Trump said the protests and violence in France were linked to immigration rather than education or domestic policy issues, warning that European countries faced serious consequences if they failed to tighten border controls and deport people he described as criminals.
“Well, France, it is a very sad situation what’s happening in France, because what’s happening in France has to do with immigration, not schools, not anything. It’s immigration,” Trump said.
He added that he had previously advised Macron to close France’s borders to prevent further unrest.
“And I told President Macron, close up your borders. I told him the first time I met him, which was years ago in my first term. Close up your borders, you’re going to have nothing but trouble. And they’ve got a lot of trouble. They let people into their country that don’t love their country, they don’t love their buildings, they don’t love their art,” Trump said.
Referring to his relationship with Macron, Trump said the French President was a friend but had made a mistake by allowing people from across the world to enter France.
“Emmanuel, look, he’s a friend of mine. I told him a long time ago, you’re making a big mistake in France. You’re letting everybody from the world come in. The whole world is coming in,” he said.
“And, as you know, Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon. And that wasn’t the deal. That wasn’t the deal. I told Emmanuel, you should close up your borders,” Trump added.
Comparing France’s immigration policies with those of the United States, Trump said, “We closed our borders; he didn’t. And you know what? His borders are a problem, and he also has a little bit of a problem with energy, but they have done, you know, they’re doing better than others. But Emmanuel should have closed his borders a long time ago; I told him to do it.”
Asked about Europe’s future, Trump warned that countries across the continent needed to strengthen border controls and remove people involved in criminal activities.
“If Europe doesn’t close its borders and bring the criminals out, like the people that protest, Europe is finished,” he said. “Europe has to close its borders, like I’ve been telling them for 10 years. They have to close their borders, and they have to take people that hate their countries out, because otherwise they’re finished. They will not have a chance of survival.”
Trump also cited unrest in France, Italy and other European countries to reiterate his criticism of immigration.
“When I look at France, when you look at Italy, when you look at all the turmoil and the hatred, that’s not about school, that’s about people coming into the countries that hate the countries. They hate the buildings, they hate the people, they hate the art. They have to close their borders, and they have to take those bad people out,” he said.
Trump’s remarks came amid continued unrest in France, where authorities have introduced curfews and stepped up security measures following violent disturbances and looting.
In Bordeaux, local authorities announced a week-long night curfew for unaccompanied minors following widespread looting and violence in the city centre over the weekend.
The order, announced on Monday by Sophie Brocas, Prefect of Gironde and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, will remain in effect from Tuesday until the morning of October 26. It restricts minors under the age of 18 from being in public spaces between 10 pm and 7 am unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
The measure follows riots on October 17, which officials described as involving an “unprecedented level of violence”. Several thousand rioters targeted commercial areas in central Bordeaux, smashing storefronts and ransacking shops.
Authorities deployed 400 police officers and gendarmes, supported by two water cannons and two armoured vehicles, to contain the violence. Nearly 120 people were arrested over Saturday and Sunday and face prosecution.
The curfew covers several affected commercial streets and public spaces, including Rue Sainte-Catherine, Rue de la Porte-Dijeaux, Cours de l’Intendance, Promenade Sainte-Catherine, Place Saint-Projet and Place du Général-Sarrail.
Condemning the destruction, Brocas said, “What Bordeaux shopkeepers experienced on Saturday is unacceptable. We will build concrete responses together.”
“Freedom to demonstrate will never give license to loot,” she added.
The decision was taken in consultation with Mayor Thomas Cazenave and regional trade chambers. State officials and municipal leaders were scheduled to meet at City Hall on Tuesday to assess the economic damage and coordinate assistance for affected businesses.
Earlier on Monday, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu instructed regional authorities to impose partial curfews in selected urban areas as the country grappled with consecutive days of violent disturbances attributed to ultra-left groups, France 24 reported.
French President Emmanuel Macron also criticised security “failures” that he said had contributed to the unrest, while rejecting the resignation of Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, France 24 reported.
At least 2,400 people were arrested following the unrest, which saw town halls set on fire and hundreds of businesses looted or damaged, according to the report.
