United States President Donald Trump has blamed immigration for violent protests in France, urging the French government to close its borders and tighten migration policies following widespread destruction and mass arrests.

Trump made the remarks on Sunday in a post on his Truth Social platform, where he accused immigration of contributing to unrest in the European country.

“France is burning! The immigration of people from an entirely different world, people with hatred in their hearts, has shattered that once great country,” he wrote.

The US president added, “Close your Borders and take control, before it is too late!” His comments came as France grappled with the aftermath of protests that reportedly resulted in the burning of a historic town hall, widespread vandalism and the arrest of about 1,800 people.

The unrest has increased pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron, with elections to choose his successor scheduled in approximately six months.

Meanwhile, France’s Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, said 1,800 people had been arrested, adding that investigations were ongoing to identify those responsible for the destruction and bring them to justice.

In Paris, police reportedly arrested a record 855 people as burnt-out vehicles, damaged shopfronts and charred debris left several streets scarred.

Other cities affected by the protests included Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Strasbourg, where hundreds of shops were reportedly looted.

According to the Retail and Trade Federation, approximately 1,500 businesses were damaged, resulting in losses estimated at hundreds of millions of euros.