French Minister Alerte sur les “Narco-Enclaves” suite à une fusillade entre gangs à Poitiers
Minister Bruno Retailleau expressed concerns about the increasing violence of drug gangs in small towns that could potentially transform France into a country similar to drug-cartel-infested Mexico.
After a fatal gang-related shootout in Poitiers, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has sounded the alarm about the emergence of “narco-enclaves” posing a threat to France.
‘Narco-Enclaves’
The minister estimated that between “400 and 600 people” were involved, using the term “Mexicanization” to describe the potential formation of crime-driven “narco-enclaves” in French cities and rural areas.
“I foresee the growth of enclaves, mini-states, narco-enclaves on French territory,” he warned.
After six months of investigation, the Senate commission of inquiry revealed that the impact of drug trafficking in France has surged over the last decade.
“Our country is currently confronting a genuine inundation; the phenomenon spans the entire nation, encompassing medium-sized cities and rural regions,” the report stated.
“Despite the tireless efforts of law enforcement and the legal system, narcotics, including the most potent kinds, are effortlessly accessible at all times and places, either through 3,000 selling points nationwide or discreetly delivered to homes via encrypted messaging.”
The report highlighted that the “escalation of trafficking in rural areas and mid-sized cities” has led to a “remarkable and concerning spike in violence, sometimes resembling actual warfare experienced by citizens.”
The Senate commission also expressed “concern” about the rise of corruption in both public and private sectors.
“Although the situation is not as severe as corruption in certain European or South American countries, criminal organizations are utilizing corruption as a means to an end,” it warned.
Immigration
Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party, which secured about 33.15 percent of the vote in a snap election on June 9, causing a hung parliament, has vowed to take more decisive steps than other parties to combat crime and illegal immigration, despite being barred from governing.
Retailleau, striving to thwart the rise of RN, unveiled plans in September to implement stringent immigration and security measures in France.
During an interview on TF1 television, Retailleau stated that he would convene prefects from the top 10 regions with high immigration rates to instruct them to “expel more, regularize less.”
He also committed to collaborating with North African countries to minimize undocumented migrants heading to France and endorsed harsher prison terms for offenders.
“When it comes to shutting down Islamist mosques or deporting hate preachers (in France), I will not hesitate,” he assured Le Figaro.
Reuters contributed to this report.