French Minister Warns of ‘Narco-Enclaves’ After Gang Shootout in Poitiers

Following a deadly gang-related shootout in Poitiers, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has warned that the emergence of “narco-enclaves” poses a threat to France.
“I can well see, on French territory, enclaves, mini-states, narco-enclaves that are being formed.”
After six months of investigation, the Senate commission of inquiry said that the effect of drug trafficking on France has exploded over the past decade.
“Our country is now facing a real inundation; the phenomenon affects the entire territory, including medium-sized cities and rural areas,” it said.
“Despite the unwavering commitment of law enforcement and the judicial system, narcotics, even the ‘hardest’ ones, are now available all the time and everywhere, whether sold at one of the 3,000 dealing points across the country or ordered through encrypted messaging and discreetly delivered to homes.”
The report said that the “intensification of trafficking in rural areas and mid-sized cities” has been “accompanied by a particularly spectacular and alarming surge in violence, at times subjecting citizens to scenes resembling actual warfare.”
The Senate commission said it was also “alarmed” by the emergence of corruption in the public and private sector.
Retailleau, who is hoping to curtail the rise of the RN, announced in September plans that would see France employ tougher immigration and security measures.
Speaking to TF1 television, Retailleau said he would summon prefects—regional representatives of the interior ministry—from the 10 regions with the highest immigration numbers to tell them “to expel more, to regularise less.”
He also pledged to consult with North African nations about having them stop more undocumented migrants from heading to France and said he wanted harsher prison sentences for lawbreakers.
“To close Islamist mosques or expel hate preachers [in France], my hand will not tremble,” he told Le Figaro.