The French capital has been left in shock following the discovery of a 19-year-old female student’s body, half-buried in Paris’ Bois de Boulogne park. The tragic incident is believed to have taken place at the hands of a Moroccan migrant who had been released from prison early and was not deported before the alleged murder. The gruesome killing has reignited debates over France’s lenient immigration policies, with calls for the government to crack down on migration.
The suspected murderer, identified as “Taha O.”, is a 22-year-old Moroccan migrant who was previously sentenced to seven years in prison for rape. He was released early from jail after judicial authorities determined that he no longer posed “a threat or a disturbance to public order.” However, after his release, the man received an OQTF (Obligation to leave French territory) deportation order, which also banned him from re-entering the country for 10 years. Despite this, Taha O. was not removed from France before the alleged murder of Philippine.
Following the arrest of Taha O. in Geneva, he now faces extradition back to France where he will face charges over the grisly crime. The tragic incident has put fresh pressure on the newly-installed French government, particularly the anti-mass migration populist National Rally (RN) party of Marine Le Pen, which won the most votes in July’s legislative elections.
RN party president Jordan Bardella stated that the suspected migrant murderer “had no place on our soil, but he was able to reoffend with complete impunity.” He added that France’s justice system is lax, its state is dysfunctional, and its leaders are failing to protect the French people.
France’s new interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, who oversees the nation’s immigration system, responded to the tragedy by stating that the government “must work to ensure the safety of our compatriots.” He called for public officials to develop legal measures to protect the French, and if necessary, change existing rules.
However, it is not just the far-right calling for stricter immigration policies. The BBC reports that only 10% of deportation orders are carried out by the French government. Furthermore, residents in the affluent area where Philippine was killed have become increasingly fearful due to the presence of drug addicts and other suspicious characters.
Despite the outrage, some politicians from the leftist parties are urging caution, as they believe that incidents like these will be exploited by far-right groups to spread their “racist and xenophobic hate.” However, it is clear that many French citizens are demanding a stronger response from their government in order to protect them from similar tragedies in the future.