Mamoudou Gassama: Mali ‘Spiderman’ becomes French citizen
The Malian migrant who dramatically rescued a small boy dangling from a balcony in Paris, France, has been made a French citizen. Mamoudou Gassama scaled four floors with his bare hands to save the four year old, who was left unsupervised.
Mr Gassama, who had been in France illegally, received international acclaim for his bravery.
President Emmanuel Macron personally thanked him and said he would be offered a role in the fire service.
“This act of great bravery exemplifies the values which help unite our national community, such as courage, selflessness, altruism and taking care of the most vulnerable,” said the official decree published on Wednesday announcing the granting of his citizenship.
Mr Gassama was initially given French residency, a first step towards citizenship, and then fast-tracked to receive French citizenship for his heroic gesture.
He earned the nickname Spiderman as a result of his act of bravery.
He also signed a contract for an internship with the Paris fire service and was given a medal by the city.
He arrived in France last year via the Mediterranean migrant route and found a job in construction in the capital.
He worked cash-in-hand on building sites and lived in a hostel in the eastern suburb of Montreuil – known as “little Bamako” because of its large Malian population.
He had not applied for asylum and was living illegally in France. BBC
