By Phillipa Anamaoh-
Undocumented Malian migrant Mamoudou Gassama (22) was awarded a medal for courage and provided employment as a fireman yesterday after saving a dangling four-year-old boy from an apartment balcony in Paris.
On Saturday night, the 22-year-old climbed four storeys in just thirty seconds to reach the child and yesterday he had met with French President Emmanuel Macron who declared that he would be made a naturalised citizen.
The video of the real-life ‘Spiderman’ had gone viral and has impressed millions as it shows Gassama effortlessly swerving from floor to floor to reach the dangling infant who had been left at home unsupervised. In his official meeting at the French Presidential Palace, Gassama nervously described the remarkable feat to President Macron,
“I just didn’t have time to think, I ran across the road to go and save him. And then I saved him. When I took him in my arms, I spoke with him and asked ‘Why did you do that?’ But he did not answer.”
Police have since questioned the child’s father on suspicion of leaving his son home alone and reports have confirmed that his mother was not in Paris at the time of the incident.
Mr Gassama had arrived in France last year, travelling to Europe through Lybia via boat on the Mediterranean to Italy.
There is no doubt that Gassama’s physical fitness and courage had not only granted him access into the country, as he had already endured the treacherous journey to France via boat but his strength and fearlessness, qualities which are possessed by many migrants, have also enabled him to gain legal French identity.
To apply for naturalised French citizenship an applicant has to have been living in France for at least five continuous years whereas Gassama had arrived in France several months ago. According to the official French Administration Service, eligible applicants must also be able to contribute to the ‘radiance’ of France and possess ‘exceptional course of integration’ in civic action, science, sports or culture.
Inarguably Gassama’s civic action has been made known throughout Europe and across the Internet, as he unhesitatingly stopped to risk his safety climbing a building he didn’t live in to save a child he didn’t know.
This event should reveal to Europe that migrants are not burdened crowds who seek to steal from the economy but courageous individuals who can utilise their acquired skills and sacrifice their safety for others. If anything, Gassama is the hero France needs.
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