The Korea Times

‘Spiderman’ migrant hero becomes French citizen

- PARIS (AFP)

— The migrant hero nicknamed “Spiderman” for saving a child hanging off a balcony by scaling a Paris apartment block with his bare hands has become a French citizen, according to a government decree.

Nimble 22-year-old Mamoudou Gassama from Mali was granted a fast-track to French nationalit­y and a job in the fire service after the daring rescue in May.

“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 document published Wednesday.

Gassama, who had been in France illegally, was catapulted to global fame by the extraordin­ary feat captured in footage seen by millions on social media.

The video showed the former constructi­on worker jumping from one floor to the next, hauling himself up with impressive athleticis­m towards the four-year-old boy dangling above.

He was congratula­ted in person by President Emmanuel Macron two days later and also met Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in the capital of the West African country.

Gassama arrived in France in September 2017 after travelling the perilous Mediterran­ean migrant route and found a job in the constructi­on industry despite not having the right to work.

He has received internatio­nal acclaim for his bravery but activists have accused the French government of “hypocrisy,” pointing to its treatment of other migrants.

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