French riots make migration a top European issue, resonates in US amid border crisis

Riots in France have sparked fresh conversations about the flow of migrants into Europe across the continent while also being tapped into by right-wing Republicans.

The riots began after the June 27 death of Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old of Algeria-Morocco descent, who was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris. Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, primarily covering immigration and border security.

He can be reached at adam.shaw2@fox.com or on Twitter.

It sparked historic violence even in a country known for its regular rioting on issues such as pensions. But these riots have led to hundreds of police officers injured and the destruction of buildings. An Associated Press tally found that more than 6,000 vehicles have been destroyed and more than 1,100 buildings attacked. France remains on edge ahead of its July 14 Bastille Day celebrations, with firework sales banned out of concern of "serious disturbances" to public order.