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France to revoke dual citizenship in fighting terrorism

Xinhua, December 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

As part of a constitutional reform, French government would submit a law aimed at revoking citizenship of all dual nationals, including those who were born in France and convicted on terrorism charges, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced on Wednesday.

"The government decided to submit to parliament the extension of revoking nationality of all bi-nationals," Valls said after presenting the draft bill on national protection at a weekly cabinet meeting.

"They (the bi-nationals convicted of terrorism) will be prosecuted and convicted in France. At the end of their sentence, they may be expelled," he added.

Under French law, currently only naturalized citizens can be stripped of their French citizenship.

Valls warned that "(terror) has never been higher," which required acts to bring the security situation under control, in a move to defend the controversial bill and silent growing critics in the Left and Right camps which denounced "a blow for the Republic."

Since 2012, six naturalized people with dual citizenship have been stripped of their French passport, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said at a joint press meeting with concerned ministers.

In the wake of Nov. 13 series of shootings and suicide bombings in Paris, French President Francois Hollande urged the constitutional amendment to extend the measure to all dual citizens in a move to beef up security measures enough to tackle terrorism.

The bill on constitutional reform will be discussed at the National Assembly in February, according to local reports. Enditem