France Gives Back: Grants Citizenship to 12,000 People

The French government announced on Thursday evening that it will grant citizenship to about 12,000 individuals who assisted the country in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. French Minister of State for Citizenship, Marlene Schiappa, stated that 1,202 individuals who worked in the healthcare sector have become French citizens. The Minister explained that the list includes security guards, assistants, and other frontline workers. She noted that approximately 16,000 people applied for French passports last year under a special program that accelerates the citizenship process. This program grants French citizenship to individuals who served France in just two years, rather than the usual five. Schiappa emphasized that it is only natural for the French state to repay those who lent a helping hand. In 2020, a total of 61,000 individuals obtained French citizenship, and many of them were invited to a palace in the Place Beauvau, where the Ministry of the Interior is located, to attend the citizenship certificate ceremony.