The French government is planning to expel 231 radicalised foreign nationals in a sweeping crackdown days after a school teacher was beheaded by a Russia-born Islamist.
His 18-year-old assailant shouted “Allahu Akbar” before he was shot dead by French police.
Samuel Paty was beheaded on Friday outside his school in a Paris suburb for allegedly displaying cartoons of Prophet Mohammed to pupils during a lesson on freedom of expression.
The killing sparked nationwide outrage in France and drew condemnation from President Emmanuel Macron and political parties.
Macron’s government has been under pressure from conservative and far-right parties to take a tougher stand on non-nationals deemed a security threat.
Of the 231 foreigners in the File of Alerts for Prevention of Terrorist Attacks who will be deported, 180 are in prison currently while 51 were due to be arrested in the next hours.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has reportedly asked his ministry’s services to examine more closely the requests of people wishing to obtain the status of refugee in the country.
Earlier this month, Macron had unveiled plans to defend France’s secular values against Islamist radical. Describing the religion “in crisis” all over the world, he had insisted “no concession” would be made in a new drive to push religion out of education and the public sector in the country.
