Okay, I know I’m late commenting on this. You’ve probably already heard about the attack by an AK-47-wielding gunman in Paris that left a policeman dead. The perpetrator has been identified as Karim Cheurfi, a French citizen born in Department 93, basically the Paris suburbs. Judging from his looks and other published information he appears to be Algerian.
There’s an enormous amount of confusion not just here in the States where we expect there to be confusion about the goings-on in other countries but even in France.
He was a French citizen. From birth. Algeria was part of metropolitan France so in all likelihood his parents were French citizens from birth. He wasn’t a foreigner. He was French. Not français de souche but French nonetheless.
Consequently, all the talk of amending immigration law or ejecting foreigners has nothing to do with this particular case. Unless they’re talking about rewriting all of the French law of nationality of the last 150 years.
I agree with those who suggest that the awful incident is likely to have an effect on the French presidential election this weekend. It will probably give Marine Le Pen a boost. But thinking that you can solve France’s problems just by ejecting a few foreigners is deeply mistaken.
I can’t comment on what the French should do about the refugees and other migrants from Africa and the Middle East streaming into the country. But the French need to come to terms with France’s colonial past and just closing France’s door to foreigners won’t do that.
