France has pushed back against US President Donald Trump's suggestion that migrants and open-border policies are responsible for the wave of riots and looting that has shaken the country.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said: "If Europe doesn't close its borders and bring the criminals out, like the people that are protesting, Europe is finished." He added that the turmoil in France and Italy was "not about school. That's about people coming into the countries that hate the country."
President Emmanuel Macron, speaking during a visit in Qatar, said there was no evidence of foreign interference behind the riots and slammed "stupid comments by many, including foreign leaders". He did not name Trump.
Student protesters were equally dismissive. Bilal Narjissi, a 17-year-old student at the Paul Eluard high school near Paris, called it "stupid talk". "They can think whatever they like. We're focusing on the main subject, which is the students' demands," he said. "The far right has to say these kinds of things because they base their politics and political programmes on instilling fear."
The unrest began as largely peaceful high school demonstrations over dilapidated buildings, overcrowded classes and teacher shortages, then widened into anger over the cost of living. Rioters attacked city halls and looted stores. More than 2,000 people were placed in police custody, the vast majority of them minors, and thousands of businesses were ransacked. Authorities imposed partial, temporary curfews in some cities, including parts of Paris.
French authorities have not linked crime with migration, and it is illegal under French law to collect data on ethnicity and race. Both far-right leader Marine Le Pen and politicians from the centrist bloc, including Macron and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, have accused hard-left groups of fomenting disorder.
Emmanuel Dupuy, president of the Institute for European Perspective and Security Studies, said Trump's argument was aimed at American voters. "It's an artificial argument used as a political tool in the context of midterm elections," he said. "They are trying to argue that what is happening in France would happen in the US if Democrats get elected."
The dispute has echoed across Europe. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said it was "clear to everyone why Hungary takes the toughest possible stance on immigration", while Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said: "Poland will not repeat the mistakes of other European countries, nor will it pay for them. We will be uncompromising on security."
US Vice President JD Vance also weighed in, writing on X: "Western liberals imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion. They ignored fundamental questions of assimilation and compatibility."
Some critics argue Trump is trying to divert attention from the US cost-of-living crisis, which has worsened amid the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump doubled down at a rally in Kansas, saying: "If you want to see what is at stake in this election, just look at what's happening in France."