Covid: France rewards frontline immigrant workers
with citizenship
Published3
days ago
Hundreds of immigrants in France working on the
coronavirus frontline have had their service to the country recognised with
fast-track citizenship.
The
interior ministry invited residents helping with efforts against Covid-19 to
apply for accelerated naturalisation.
More than
700 have already been granted citizenship or are in the final stages of
receiving it.
They
include healthcare professionals, cleaners and shop workers.
Frontline
workers around the world have been exposed to Covid-19 at a high rate with many
dying from the disease including doctors and nurses.
France is
in the top 10 countries worst hit by coronavirus infections, with more than 2.5
million confirmed cases and close to 62,000 deaths.
The
expediated citizenship initiative was first announced in September.
Seventy-four people have already been granted a French passport and another 693
are in the final stages. A total of 2,890 people have applied so far.
"Health
professionals, cleaning ladies, childcare workers, checkout staff: They all
proved their commitment to the nation, and it is now the turn of the republic
to take a step towards them," the office of Marlene Schiappa, junior
minister for citizenship, said on Tuesday.
Normally a
successful applicant must have been resident in France for five years with a
stable income and demonstrated integration into French society.
But the
government has said frontline Covid workers must only live in France for two
years to be eligible for citizenship in recognition of their "great
services rendered".
In 2017
France's immigrant population was 6.4 million, including a significant number
from former colonies including in north and west Africa, but becoming a citizen
can be a fraught and slow process. The number of people granted naturalisation
is decreasing, with 10% fewer in 2019 than in 2018.
It isn't
the first time that France has recognised bravery and contributions to the
nation with citizenship.
In 2018,
Malian man Mamoudou Gassama was awarded French citizenship after he was dubbed
"spiderman" for rescuing a small boy dangling from a Paris balcony.
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