Paris attacks: France unveils tough anti-terror plan
- Published
Close to 3,000 raids have been conducted in the month since the attacks in Paris
Dual citizens born in France and found guilty of terror offences will be stripped of their French nationality under tough new proposals detailed by Prime Minister Manuel Valls.
The proposals come a month after 130 people died in attacks in Paris led by French and Belgian nationals.
Anyone born in France is currently eligible for French nationality.
The proposed constitutional amendment is likely to meet stiff opposition when it goes before parliament in February.
Divisions have emerged between parties and within the ruling Socialist party itself.
On Tuesday, Justice Minister Christiane Taubira said the amendment allowing French nationality to be revoked had been dropped from the bill.
She told an Algerian radio station it was a "decision that would not help the fight against terrorism in any way".
But when Mr Valls announced the proposals on Wednesday, the amendment remained. Ms Taubira, who says she will not resign, appeared alongside the prime minister as he made the announcement.
PM Manuel Valls and Justice Minister Christiane Taubira made a show of unity despite apparent differences
The measures would also allow rights granted only under the current state of emergency to be enshrined in the constitution - including imposing house arrest on suspects and conducting searches without warrants.
Mr Valls said France was facing an "unparalleled extraordinary situation, an unprecedented fight", adding that, over the last 40 days, 2,900 searches had been conducted across France, netting 443 weapons.
'Shocked, sad, appalled'
For now, only naturalised citizens in France can have their citizenship revoked.
The proposed changes will be discussed by the National Assembly on 3 February, and must be approved by a three-fifths majority by the Assembly and the Senate.
"It clearly means that there will be two classes of nationality and two classes of citizenship, that's why I say it raises fundamental questions," Jacques Toubon, the government's rights watchdog, told France Inter radio.
"I am shocked, sad, appalled, dumbfounded," one Socialist official, Pouria Amirshahi, told the Europe 1 network. "Taking steps to revoke people's citizenship goes completely against the values of the Republic."