France’s President Emmanuel Macron called for the country to fight Islamic "separatism” during a trip to the eastern city of Mulhouse on Tuesday.
"The Republic must keep her promises," he said at a police station in Bourtzwiller - a densely populated district of the city.
'We must fight separatism because when the Republic does not keep her promises, others will try to replace it."
The 15,000-strong population of Bourtzwiller has been chosen because the government designated it one of 47 "Republican reconquest districts", areas where France’s secular values were being challenged. The system strengthened police presence in the district, with the aim to combat crime and trafficking.
Mr Macron began the trip by visiting the district's police station accompanied by four ministers including interior minister Christophe Castaner and youth minister Gabriel Attal.
Mr Macron has previously warned of the dangers of "communitarianism" in France, which is the practice of communities governing themselves. He called for better integration of Muslims in wider society.
"We are here for a reason that we share with Muslims – that is the struggle against communitarianism," he said.
The President also met representatives of social, cultural, religious and sports associations in Mulhouse
Mr Macron is believed to be concerned about the funding of places of worship, particularly from abroad.
Mulhouse is home to the under-construction An-Nour mosque, which was mostly funded by private donations from Qatar.
The visit comes the week after Mr Macron defended a French teenager, who received death threats for posting an expletive-laden video against Islam to social media.
The case of Mila, a 16-year-old known only by her first name, has reignited a debate in France about freedom of speech and revived divisions.
