The government has stripped of French nationality four dual citizens, with the reasons cited for this decision being related to terrorism. The affected individuals were aged between 26 and 42 years old, and all of them came from the Maghrebi region: three French-Algerian citizens and one French-Tunisian citizen.
According to the Official Journal, the four individuals had different charges, which vary from offering services to terrorist organisations and the Islamic State to falsification of French nationality, Schengen.News reports.
The number of individuals being revoked French citizenship in recent years has increased significantly, which proves that French authorities are dedicated to protecting national security. The rest of the Schengen Area has adopted a similar approach, as five EU countries have introduced tighter rules for candidates for citizenship.
31 Dual Citizens Lost Their French Citizenship So Far in 2024
According to L’Essor, the number of individuals who were stripped of their French citizenship in 2024 has reached 31 in 2024. The figure is higher than the volume of all cases recorded since 2015.
Between 2015 and 2023, a total of 28 people lost their citizenship, compared to 31 who were stripped of their French citizenship in 2024 alone. In total, in less than one decade (2015 to 2024), the number of individuals who were revoked French citizenship has reached 63.
In terms of gender, the ratio of men who lose their citizenship is dominant. Still, in recent years, the number of women being subject to citizenship revocation has also increased. In total, four women have been stripped of their French citizenship since 2015.
Number of Candidates to Obtain French Citizenship Decreased by One-Third in 2023
As the data from the French Interior Ministry has revealed, fewer people wanted to obtain French citizenship in 2023, with the decrease being nearly 40 percentage points lower than in 2022. In terms of numbers, this decrease is translated into 17,000 fewer candidates.
As the authorities pointed out in a report, the decrease could be partially attributed to the Pandemic years, which saw a significant decrease in the number of candidates.
As per nationalities, the top five that obtained French citizenship were the most former French colonies in the African continent, such as Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians, Russians and Brits, while Ivorians, Senegalese and Cameroonians followed.
Source: https://schengen.news/france-revokes-citizenship-for-4-citizens/
