Marseilles (AFP)

After the attack which killed three people in a basilica in Nice, its mayor LR, Christian Estrosi, calls for the suspension of the Schengen agreements, which allow travel without border control in 26 European countries.

In an interview with Nice-Matin Thursday, Christian Estrosi proposes to "suspend the Schengen agreements for a certain time".

"Nice was not affected because it was Nice, but because of its proximity to the Italian border," said the mayor of the city.

The assailant, Brahim Aouissaoui, a 21-year-old Tunisian national, arrived illegally in Europe via the Italian island of Lampedusa at the end of September.

And the investigation was able to determine that he had arrived in Nice on Tuesday October 27, two days before the attack.

Christian Estrosi also wants refugees to have their protective status withdrawn "in the event of a crime".

And for him, "all the procedures for asylum must be carried out in the general consulates mutualized on the territory of nationals seeking asylum".

So many proposals that he says are part of a common "approach" with the former European Commissioner in charge of the Security Union, Julian King.

A "sober" tribute to the three victims will take place on Saturday morning on Castle Hill in Nice, in the presence of the Prime Minister, adds Christian Estrosi in the regional daily.

As for the investigation, two people were in police custody Wednesday evening, a 17-year-old minor in Seine-Saint-Denis according to a judicial source.

And a 29-year-old Tunisian, arrested Tuesday morning in Sarcelles (Val-d'Oise) and who is also suspected of having had several exchanges with the assailant.

The latter, shot after his attack, still had a vital prognosis, according to a source close to the investigation.

In addition to being positive for Covid-19.

The Schengen area, of which France has been a part since 1995, allows travelers to travel freely with a simple identity document.

However, since the end of 2015, border controls have been re-established by the French authorities, in particular in Menton, near Nice.

Trains are systematically checked and the border police are permanently on the A8 motorway.

In nearly five years, there have been more than 160,000 arrests, despite a sharp decline in 2019 (nearly 22,000).

On the Italian side, arrests also take place sporadically.

For Italian and French humanitarian associations, these controls push migrants to take risks without preventing them from passing.

They also stress that the right to asylum is also regularly violated.

© 2020 AFP