India has advised its nationals living in France and those travelling to the country to remain vigilant and exercise caution amid continuing unrest, violent clashes and localised curfews in parts of the European nation.
The advisory comes as France grapples with widespread protests and riots, triggered by student demonstrations over high school conditions and expanding into mass anti-government anger over inflation and living costs. The unrest has been marked by incidents of looting, arson and clashes between demonstrators and police. They are also advised to check public transport updates on the website of RATP, the state-owned public transport operator serving the Paris region. President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to prevent a recurrence of the violence as protest groups prepare further demonstrations.
More than 2,400 people were arrested during the weekend unrest, while nearly 1,000 police officers were injured, according to media reports. France’s main student union and the ‘Yellow Vest’ movement, a grassroots protest movement whose agitations over fuel prices shook the country in 2018 and 2019, have called for rallies on Saturday (October 25, 2026).
In case of an emergency, Indian nationals can contact the Embassy of India in Paris or the Consulate General of India in Marseille, the advisory said.
