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"What religion do you have?"/ The story of the young Albanian who did not pass the citizenship test opens a controversy in France

2023-09-01 15:44:31Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
"What religion do you have?"/ The story of the young Albanian who did
The story of the young Albanian who did not pass the citizenship test opens a controversy in France

Ten years of residence in France, a professional diploma, two jobs "with double contributions to the state budget"... But for the prefecture of Haute-Vienne, the 25-year-old from Albania, Antoine* (the name that the French media gave the young Albanian for not reveal his identity) does not justify the general culture sufficient to become a French citizen.

The 25-year-old Albanian, after the rejection on July 25, appealed the case and his story has already received the attention of the French media and has turned into a political issue.

Le Parisien, was the first to reveal this story that was then spread across the media, opening a debate about the questions the citizenship test provides.

"He is a 25-year-old boy who came from Albania to France at the age of 14. With his family, he first slept on the streets for several months, then found shelter in Limoges. The boy already has a French degree from a vocational school. Worked as a waiter for a while in a restaurant and at the same time created his own car cleaning business. After eleven years in France, he applied for citizenship and was called for an oral test on French history and culture, and unfortunately for him, he failed. He asked for an explanation and the prefecture sent him back a list of questions that he had not been able to answer. And it turns out they weren't such easy questions. He was asked where Arromanche (one of the beaches in Normandy) and Nouméa (in New Caledonia) are. He was asked who was Edith Cresson, prime minister of France in 1988,

The paper gave the same test to two French students, two teachers' sons: They couldn't answer half of the test's questions. They did not know Edith Cresson and did not know where Arromanche was.

An application for French citizenship involves an interview at the prefecture, in which candidates are required to demonstrate knowledge of French history and culture, as well as demonstrate their assimilation and adherence to the values ​​of the French republic. Unlike many other countries, there is no written test, instead it is a personal interview with an employee at the prefecture.

"After some questions about the history of France - which the young man answers well - World War I, World War II, Napoleon, Marseillaise, questions about Limoges and Limousin, the interview suddenly changed to a section touching on his private life. The official asked me what my religion was, what I thought of Karim Benzema or even if I preferred France or Albania. I'm sorry that I didn't manage to film the interview", says the young Albanian.

Antoine also claims that the answer to the question about the number of countries that are part of the European Union was never "110", but "27".

"It is their right to refuse to naturalize me, but I cannot accept that false things are written in the minutes and that illegal or unfair questions are asked of me", he argues.

The newspaper has gone to the end of the investigation of the case and has seen that there are many inconsistencies in the minutes. Journalists have addressed the General Directorate for Foreigners in France (DGEF) and the Haute-Vienne prefecture but they have not responded.

"Faced with these inconsistencies, both authorities did not respond. The DGEF eventually returned us to the Haute-Vienne prefecture. Despite our many requests, the prefecture contented itself with reminding us of the decree that determined the conditions of the interview, adding that "it was not an exam. Neither a standard questionnaire nor a minimum score is expected and the questions asked, which take into account the applicant's situation (level of education, socio-professional situation, length of stay in France), most often refer to the elements included in the brochure the aforementioned," was the response to Le Parisien.

Antoine appealed against the decision of the prefecture, the competent bodies have two months to give their decision.

"My boss wants me to take over the restaurant where I've worked for five years. But there is no question of me going into debt of up to one million euros by buying the business only with a residence permit", argues the 25-year-old young man.

The citizen reaction has also been very strong. A large group of people has been created who support the legal steps taken by the young Albanian to appeal the case to the authorities.

"It is not random, it is arbitrary. Incidentally, there are many people who do not pay attention to the country's politics".

"This shows the path taken (in the wrong direction) by France in recent years on all immigration issues"

"How can you be disqualified for religion? Secularism guarantees the right to worship, there is no wrong answer no matter what you answer.”

"Basically, the agent didn't like his face or had a grudge against Albanians (Albanophobia, if it's a real word, it's pretty common in the Ministry of the Interior) so she wanted him to get his feet on the mat.", are some from citizens' reactions to the media.


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