JURIST - Paper Chase: France president proposes stripping citizenship from immigrants who kill police

[JURIST] French President Nicolas Sarkozy [official website, in French] said Monday his government would proceed to draft a law [press release, in French] that would make it easier to deport illegal immigrants and strip immigrants accused of violent crimes of their French citizenship. The proposal targets immigrants who kill or attempt to kill public officials or police officers within 10 years of having gaining French citizenship. The law will also set out financial sanctions for those accused of polygamy and gives local authorities greater power to dismantle and evacuate illegal settlements. The French president's office said the proposals had been "developed in strict compliance with republican principles, the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Council and European law and must be implemented on the same principles." The measures will be part of a homeland security bill (LLOPSI2) [official materials, in French] to be considered in the French Senate [official website] starting Tuesday.

Last month, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination [official website] concluded its review [JURIST report] of France's compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) [text], finding that while France has a laudable action plan for eradicating racial discrimination, it must increase efforts to make the plan a reality. The report also questioned Sarkozy's July measures against illegal Roma communities [JURIST report] in France and the legislation aimed at making their deportation easier following riots by members of the Roma community.