'Revoke the citizenship of crooks' - Sarkozy

PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy says he wants to revoke the French citizenship of immigrants who put police officers' lives in danger.

Mr Sarkozy said in a speech in Grenoble yesterday that French nationality should be revoked "from any person of foreign origin who voluntarily threatens the life of a police officer" or other public authority.

The south-eastern city saw clashes this month between youths and police at an immigrant housing scheme after a resident suspected in an armed casino robbery was killed while fleeing police.

Tensions have simmered in poor suburbs around France since nationwide riots in 2005.

"We are suffering from 50 years of lax immigration regulation which has led to a failure of integration," Mr Sarkozy said in a defiant speech.

Mr Sarkozy, whose "tough on crime" stance helped him win the 2007 election, has promised to "wage war" on urban violence following the riots, a move critics say is partly aimed at winning back right-wing voters.

The National Front, severely squeezed by Mr Sarkozy in 2007, has regained some support due to the economic crisis which has raised unemployment to 10 per cent and several political scandals that have fed its accusations of a corrupt establishment.

"French nationality should be stripped from anybody who has threatened the life of a police officer or anybody involved in public policing," Mr Sarkozy said.

"Nationality is earned and you have to be worthy of it."

Mr Sarkozy proposed a string of measures including sentences of up to 30 years for killing police, prisoners wearing electronic tags after release and a review of underage offenders of foreign origin receiving nationality at 18.