‘Spider-man’ now a French citizen

The migrant hero nicknamed “Spider-man” 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 employment in the fire service after the daring rescue in May this year.

“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 on 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 fouryear-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.