Emmanuel Macron Grants French Citizenship to Migrant 'Hero'

Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, praised an African migrant who saved a young child, calling him a hero and awarding him French citizenship along with a job in the fire department. The young man rescued a child hanging from a balcony of a five-story building by climbing up. According to a report from the Associated Press on Monday, Mr. Macron met with Mamoudou Gassama, a 22-year-old migrant from Mali, in one of the halls of the Élysée Palace, and told him, 'Well done.' This migrant also received the French government's Gold Medal for 'Courage and Sacrifice.' A video of Mamoudou Gassama climbing the building went viral on social media, and some have nicknamed him 'Spider-Man.' The young migrant stated that he has legal residency documents in Italy. He arrived in Italy last year after a difficult journey and spending hard times in Libya, crossing the Mediterranean Sea. However, he came to France last September to join his older brother, who has lived in France for several decades. Around 8 PM on Saturday, when Mamoudou and his friends were crossing the street, they saw a young child hanging from a fifth-floor balcony. Mamoudou said, 'I ran across the street to save him. When I started climbing the balconies, I gained more courage to go higher.' He added, 'God helped me, and thank God I was able to save him.' During the meeting, Emmanuel Macron told Mamoudou Gassama, 'Since this is an extraordinary act, we will arrange for your residency and documents today.' He also advised him to start the process for French citizenship as soon as possible. The Associated Press reminds that Emmanuel Macron intends to tighten France's immigration laws. Mr. Macron emphasized that there is no contradiction between this plan and granting French citizenship to Mamoudou Gassama for his bravery and the strictness in immigration matters that he is trying to stop at the source. He told reporters, 'An extraordinary act does not determine policy,' stressing that his government's immigration policy will be principled and respectful in dealing with asylum seekers and firm in addressing the wave of migration. At the same time, while granting special privileges to Mamoudou Gassama, the government and responsible agencies are preparing to evacuate about 2,400 migrants from slums and tents set up at a point in the capital of France. The way to deal with these individuals has caused a dispute between the Minister of the Interior and the Mayor of Paris, who says suitable housing must be found for these people. Mamoudou Gassama mentioned in his meeting with Emmanuel Macron that he entered Italy in 2014 and was imprisoned in Libya for over a year during his journey, 'but that did not make me lose hope.' Previously, another migrant from Mali was granted French citizenship in January 2015 for helping people during a terrorist attack on a Jewish supermarket in Paris.