Arthur De Laborde / Photo credit: Jean Luc Boujon 08h20, 09 June 2023

The appalling knife attack in a playground near Lake Annecy on Thursday has strongly reacted the opposition, especially on the right. According to them, European law and asylum procedures must be reviewed. A speech widely heard by the Republicans, up to the National Rally where they defend proposals quite similar.

The France is in a state of shock since the stabbing attack near Lake Annecy left six wounded, including four children under three years old. The assailant, a Syrian asylum seeker, had arrived on French territory last fall on a regular basis. Enough to revive the debate around European law and asylum procedures on the right. In particular, the Republicans demand that these procedures be registered no longer on the national territory but in diplomatic representations abroad.

>> READ ALSO – Attack in Annecy: did the assailant have the right to be in France?

"Imperatively" review asylum applications

"It is imperative that asylum applications are made abroad in these consulates. There may be deposits digitally. The problem is that in France, as soon as an asylum seeker sets foot on French soil, even when he is rejected, he is almost inexpelable. So it is much better to be safe than sorry," said the leader of the LR senators, Bruno Retailleau. A measure that would be part of the responses to the knife attack in Annecy according to the party.

This proposal is not new and is also being considered by the National Rally. During her last presidential campaign, Marine Le Pen provided in her programme for a modification of the right of asylum by referring to the law to set the modalities of applications and introduce the obligation to deposit them in embassies and consulates abroad. An idea also defended by Eric Zemmour, who went even further by declaring himself in favor of suspending the right of asylum.