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L'ancien combattant de la Légion doit quitter le territoire

Peter Lyderik

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My French is too much comme ci, comme ça, so I hope someone will translate, thanks :)

https://www.objectifgard.com/2017/11/15/lancien-combattant-de-la-legion-doit-quitter-le-territoire/

L’ancien combattant de la Légion doit quitter le territoire
Il a servi pendant 10 ans dans la Légion étrangère. En situation irrégulière, il doit quitter la France

Boris De la Cruz 15 novembre 2017

« Il justifie d'une réelle intégration en France, à ce titre il mérite la délivrance d'un titre de séjour. Il a servi la France », plaide Maître Pascale Chabbert Masson devant le tribunal administratif de Nîmes. Pourtant le tribunal va suivre la volonté du préfet qui quelques jours auparavant avait pris un arrêté exigeant que l’ancien soldat de la Légion étrangère quitte le territoire français sans délai.

Médoune, 34 ans, est aujourd’hui père d’un petit garçon de 7 mois, il vit à Nîmes avec sa compagne. Avant, jusqu’en juillet 2016, il était un militaire presque parfait avec des médailles, des décorations, une lettre de reconnaissance pour les services rendus à la nation signée par l’ancien secrétaire d’état aux anciens combattants, Hubert Falco. Mais ses états de service ne comptent plus, si l’on en croit sa situation administrative aujourd’hui.

Médoune, est arrivé du Sénégal en France en 2004 avec un visa d’étudiant. Pendant 2 ans, il réside et étudie à Paris et obtient un DEUG de philosophie à la Sorbonne. Puis, après en 2006, il entre dans l’Armée, à la Légion étrangère. Il participera à de multiples opérations au Tchad, en centre Afrique, au Mali, en Côte d’Ivoire, ou encore comme soldat dédié à la force Vigipirate à travers tout le pays. « A ce moment-là, les gens le remerciaient, on lui offrait des croissants, mais l'administration française le rejette », complète Maître Chabbert-Masson.

L’ancien militaire a reçu pour ses états de service, une médaille en argent, l’autre en bronze de la Défense Nationale. « Ses qualités sont louées car il a participé avec son groupe à la traque du légionnaire qui a tué 3 personnes à Abéché en avril 2009 au Tchad », poursuit l'avocate Nîmoise qui a fait immédiatement appel de la décision du tribunal administratif.

En juillet 2016, Médoune quitte de son plein gré, la Légion après 10 ans de service et plusieurs contrats renouvelés. « Il part de la Légion et n’obtient pas le certificat de bonne conduite que la plupart des légionnaires reçoivent sans aucun problème », souligne la préfecture qui justifie ainsi sa décision. "En plus la préfecture l'a convoqué pour des démarches, il n'est pas venu au rendez-vous et à la place il fait de la procédure, complète Patrick Belley, directeur adjoint de la Préfecture du Gard. Par contre s'il vient avec des éléments nouveaux, notamment une carte du combattant, le Préfet pourrait revoir sa position... En attendant, il est effectivement en situation irrégulière sur le territoire".

" Le titre doit être délivré à l'étranger qui est reconnu comme ancien combattant, c'est le Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers qui le précise ", estime pour sa part, maître Chabbert Masson.
Boris De la Cruz
 

Rapace

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The administration can sometimes become crazy... :mad: Kafka wrote good books about it. The situation of this ex Senegalese legionnaire is very sad.
 

DCLXVI

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Just more lies and abuse from the French. I will elaborate just a little for all the guys who think they are going to get a passport in five years. It won't happen. First thing you want to do, once in the Legion. Immediately start paying your taxes. It does not matter if you are RSM or not. You need to pay for three years, So start in the first year. You won't get anything but the card after five years, to work and stay in France for 10 years. That is it. No passport, no citizenship, nothing. You only get the card if you have an honorable discharge, too.

They will then promise you, "Promise" that if you sign for 2 more years, you will get it. Sometimes, it happens for some guys. It did for my Russian Cpl buddy I had. He was CCL and his brother too, who is reserve right now, too. He did 7 years and got it. Most guys get f*cked over. Here is the problem, you have to be an angel to get the passport. The reason dudes don't get it is because they have gone to jail one too many times.

I personally have a Sgt. who is a good guy, 5 deployments and has 14 years in, He can't even get his, because he made some mistakes in the Legion. So the promise is kept, IF IF IF IF IF IF you are an angel and suck balls and c*ck and never get into trouble. Trouble happens far to often in the Legion due to the incompetent morons who blame you and anyone else they can, while hiding behind a grade. Namely CCH. People, if there is a CCH who has more then 7 years, you know he's a mega f*ckuk up. Most ride the grade, because they have effed up so much and can't ever even make Sgt. And they have 20 years...Yea, don't be fooled people. Most are this way, not all.

So with all that, you have the ingredients of abuse and the blame game and people going to jail.

On the otherside of the coin, I know some amazing really cool CCH who I have the most amount of respect for, even more then the prissy spoiled rotten brat French officers who care only about themselves and their advancement to Captain and beyond. You would all be amazed at this spectacle when they all hide in sometimes off sight officers mess halls. Anyway, guys, the best thing to do is do the five and get the eff out. Pay your taxes while in. Try your very best to get an honorable discharge and then apply for the citizenship in civi world. Far easier and I know guys who did it already with just five years in the Legion and they got that letter in the mail after 6-8 months.

So, don't be fooled, you aren't getting anything in five years, just the card, and even then, maybe not that. Shoot for less then 60 days in jail a year. My buddy has 93 already in the 13th :)
 

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The veteran of the legion must leave the territory
he has served 10 years in the Foreign Legion. In an irregular situation, it must leave France.
No idea what this section is talking about, it seems out of place but I have translated it anyway.

"He can justify of a real integration in France, and as such, he deserves the issuance of a residence permit. He has served the France", argues lawyer Pascale Chabbert Masson before the Administrative Tribunal of Nimes. Yet the Tribunal will follow the will of the prefect, who a few days before issued an order requiring that the former soldier of the Foreign Legion leaves the French territory without delay.
Médoune, 34 years, is today the father of a little boy of 7 months, he lives in Nimes with his partner. Before, until July 2016, it was a military almost perfect with medals, decorations, a letter of recognition for services rendered to the nation signed by the former Secretary of State for Veterans, Hubert Falco. But his Service Records seem not to count any more, if one sees his administrative situation today.

Médoune has arrived from Senegal to France in 2004 with a student visa. During 2 years, he resided and studied in Paris and obtained a DEUG of philosophy at the Sorbonne. And then, after 2006, he joins the army, the Foreign Legion. He will participate in multiple operations in Chad, in the Central Africa Republic, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, or even as a soldier dedicated to the Vigipirate force throughout the country. "At that time, the people thanked him, he was offered croissants, but the French administration now is rejecting him", complete Chabbert-Masson.
The former military has received for its Member of service, a silver medal, the other in bronze of the National Defense. "His qualities are praised because he participated with his group in the hunt for a legionnaire who had killed 3 people in Abéché (Chad) in April 2009", continues the counsel from Nîmes who has immediately appealled the decision of the Administrative Tribunal.

In July 2016, Médoune voluntarily leaves the Legion after 10 years of service and several contracts renewed. "He leaves the Legion and does not receive the certificate of good conduct that most of the legionnaires receive without any problem" stresses the Prefecture which thus justifies its decision. "In addition the prefecture has summoned him for formalities, he didn't come to the appointment and instead decided to start a legal procedure", complete, Patrick Belley, Deputy Director of the Prefecture of the Gard. However, if he comes back with new elements, including a Veteran Card, the Prefect could reconsider his position... In the meantime, he is actually in an irregular situation in the territory."

"The legal resident status must be granted to the alien who is recognized as a veteran, that is the code of entry and residence of foreigners that stipulates this" considers for her part, lawyer Chabbert Masson.

Boris De la Cruz
 

Rapace

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Just more lies and abuse from the French. I will elaborate just a little for all the guys who think they are going to get a passport in five years. It won't happen. First thing you want to do, once in the Legion. Immediately start paying your taxes. It does not matter if you are RSM or not. You need to pay for three years, So start in the first year. You won't get anything but the card after five years, to work and stay in France for 10 years. That is it. (...)
On the other hand, the 10-year residency card is far better than being an illegal. It gives you almost the same rights as a French citizen, except of course the right to vote in national elections and things like that, but you are officially entitled to work (except in the ‘regular’ military and other civil servant type of work), you can benefit from the social security (health insurance, civilian pension if you work long enough), unemployment allowances, etc. Not so bad. And, as you said, once you're out of the Legion with your residency card, you can start the naturalisation process if you want to become eventually a French citizen.

Reading more carefully the article posted by Peter about this Senegalese legionnaire, it appears that he didn't get is Certificat de Bonne Conduite after his 10 years in the Legion, for some reason that is not clarified, and didn't reply to some summons he was served with by the authorities. So the reality, as often, is not fully black or white.
 

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Wow. This is really a... motivating story for wannabes. So, if I understand, he served 10 y, has clean record, been on missions many times, decorated and still can't get a residence permit? Is there any reason for that? Maybe he never get wounded and can't get naturalised per the “Français par le sang verséâ€￾ law.

“Bad legionnaire! Go back and spill some blood and then we gonna review your residence permit. We don't have place for those like you in EU. But we take every human garbage that sea washing up on the shore because we assume that those men running from the war. And of course, they are better for business those days.â€￾

OMG someone please tell me that there is reason behind madness. Rapace, do you know what's going on here?
 

Rapace

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(...) Rapace, do you know what's going on here?
I've got no clue. It would be interesting to know why he didn't receive his Certificat de Bonne Conduite. Since he served for 10 years, it means that his contract was renewed at least once, so he did at least one full contract without any major problem (otherwise it wouldn't have been renewed). What happened after the first 5 years, that could explain why the didn't receive an honourable discharge? I don't know. Why didn't he reply to the summons he received from the authorities is another question. Now, one might consider that, after serving 10 years in the Legion, even if he made some mistakes and in absence of any legal conviction, he should be entitled at least to a residency card.
 

mammikoura

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If he didn't get his Certificat de Bonne Conduite, then he screwed up somewhere... big time. The journalist wants to create a huge sob story about a poor mistreated guy but in the end it's this guy's own actions that caused him to miss out on the residency permit.
 

dusaboss

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If he didn't get his Certificat de Bonne Conduite, then he screwed up somewhere... big time. The journalist wants to create a huge sob story about a poor mistreated guy but in the end it's this guy's own actions that caused him to miss out on the residency permit.
I think this is the most plausible scenario.
 

DCLXVI

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Absolutey correct. The dude was denied because he ****ed up somewhere along the line. You can resign even after you have gone to jail NUMEROUS time. It just depends on the offense. If it is drugs, NOT a chance, but you wont kicked out of the legion for bad drug test. Just do 20 days a pop each time for your drug filled weekend. I know a Cpl personally whos signed again and he was a MEGA **** up. But they were little 7 and 10 day stints here and there. Not every other month.

So I already wrote once THE REALITY of why in the first response, heres the second..

The dude messed up bad somewhere, and NO, you are nnot getting kicked out for drugs. I only know one guy and it was recently, in my REG, he was in the CCL, major **** up and his last straw was being whacked out on base on drugs and stealing a jeep and zooming around base until he eventually wrecked it and destroyed hit.

That is the only guy I know to have been booted for drugs. Theres plenty still here for 2,3,4th time offenses. NO, they are not getting the card when they leave or signing again. But they are still here for numbers sakes.
 

Le petit caporal

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I served more than 10 years and recieved good conduct certificat from general Piquemal. I live in Nîmes and have a son, born the year I left (96). My carte de résident was made ready for pick up in Marseille. I asked the préfecture in Nîmes for a transfer Bouches-du-Rhône/Gard
When I went to pick it up, had to produce wages and domicile justification that I didn't have... refused to deliver. Am still without one and do not have a UK passport but do have my French driving licence. It helps, a bit.
 
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Joseph Cosgrove

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I served more than 10 years and recieved good conduct certificat from general Piquemal. I live in Nîmes and have a son, born the year I left (96). My carte de résident was made ready for pick up in Marseille. I asked the préfecture in Nîmes for a transfer Bouches-du-Rhône/Gard
When I went to pick it up, had to produce wages and domicile justification that I didn't have... refused to deliver. Am still without one and do not have a UK passport but do have my French driving licence. It helps, a bit.
Hi Le petit caporal, I thought I'd ask you this on the board as you haven't replied to my PMs or emails asking for the proof that you were in the Legion. I'm sure there is some logical explanation. However as I said, and I know you will appreciate, we have to have some proof before turning someone green. So, if you like publish what is required on the board (and why not, after all), or drop me an email.
Thanks in advance, the more greens, the better.
 

Rapace

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(...) Am still without one and do not have a UK passport but do have my French driving licence. It helps, a bit.
Well, best thing I guess would be ask for a British passport at the consulate in France. I think there's one in Lyon. It will work better than the driving licence, that may or may not be accepted as a valid Id document, at least... until Brexit.
As mentioned by Joseph Cosgrove, if you're publicly claiming past Legion service on the forum it's preferable (British understatement here... ;)) to provide some evidence. A way to limit as much as possible ‘infiltration’ by Walts... I guess you understand that.

P.S: For those who don't know, Le petit Caporal was the nickname given to Napoleon Bonaparte by his soldiers during the Italy campaign at the end of the XVIIIth century. That was just before his coup d'état of Nov 9th 1799 (18 Brumaire, an VIII per the Revolutionary Calendar) made him a Consul and, later, an Emperor under the name of Napoléon Ier. Funny to see a Brit referring this hated enemy... :)

P.P.S: Since we're on that, today being, coincidentally December 2nd, I have a thought for Napoleon's most brilliant victory at Austerlitz on December 2nd, 1805. The battle was called la bataille des trois empereurs (Napoleon, Francis II, Emperor of Austria and Alexander I, Emperor of Russia). It is commemorated every year by the Cadets of Saint-Cyr Military Academy.
 

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Didn't Napoleon but the crown himself Emperor?
After the Pope said to receive the crown Napoleon turned and removed his laurel wreath and then crowned himself. Pope Pius VII raised no objection.
 

Rapace

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Didn't Napoleon crown himself Emperor?
Yes. After the 18 Brumaire coup, a new regime called Consulat was put in place, with a triumvirat regrouping the instigators of the coup. Bonaparte, as he was known then (by his surname) was ‘only’ the military side of the coup, which had two other political masterminds. The three became Consuls, with originally equal power, but then Napoleon managed to be nominated Premier Consul in 1802, and progressively ‘sidelined’ his cronies. He proclaimed in 1804 a new regime called Le Premier Empire (the First Empire) with him as the Emperor, under the name of Napoléon Ier. The crowning took place in Notre-Dame-de-Paris cathedral on Dec 2nd 1804 (another Dec 2nd), where he crowned himself and after crowned his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais who became l'impératrice Joséphine.
One can guess that the politics probably underestimated Napoleon's intelligence and... appetite for power. There are other examples in History. But we are drifting here... :D
 

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Yes. After the 18 Brumaire coup, a new regime called Consulat was put in place, with a triumvirat regrouping the instigators of the coup. Bonaparte, as he was known then (by his surname) was ‘only’ the military side of the coup, which had two other political masterminds. The three became Consuls, with originally equal power, but then Napoleon managed to be nominated Premier Consul in 1802, and progressively ‘sidelined’ his cronies. He proclaimed in 1804 a new regime called Le Premier Empire (the First Empire) with him as the Emperor, under the name of Napoléon Ier. The crowning took place in Notre-Dame-de-Paris cathedral on Dec 2th 1804 (another Dec 2th), where he crowned himself and after crowned his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais who became l'impératrice Joséphine.
One can guess that the politics probably underestimated Napoleon's intelligence and... appetite for power. There are other examples in History. But we are drifting here... :D
I think when saying he crowned himself, it is important to empathize the fact that the Pope was going to do it anyway and that the Pope had no objection to Emperor Napoleon's “self-crowningâ€￾.
It lets everyone who reads your post know that he was legitimate and recognised by God's representative on Earth and not some illegitimate upstart.
 

Rapace

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I think when saying he crowned himself, it is important to empathize the fact that the Pope was going to do it anyway and that the Pope had no objection to Emperor Napoleon's “self-crowningâ€￾.
It lets everyone who reads your post know that he was legitimate and recognised by God's representative on Earth and not some illegitimate upstart.
Well... Not really the place to discuss that, but actually:
1/ Pope Pius VII didn't take Napoleon's gesture as an offence. He was even actually quite ‘happy’ with him since, after the extreme measures taken by the Revolutionaries of 1789 and above all 1792-1794 against the Catholic Church (priests murdered, properties confiscated, etc.), Napoleon signed in 1801 an ‘agreement’ (it's called a Concordat, I think the word is the same in English) with the Vatican, organising and clarifying the relations between the French state and the Catholic Church and putting and end to 10 years of tension.
2/ Contrary to the Kings of France, under the Absolute Monarchy regime, Napoleon wasn't considered and didn't even try to present himself as a representative of God on Earth. This would not have been accepted by the French people, who could tolerate an authoritarian rule, but not a return to the past. Among many other details, he chose to be crowned in Notre-Dame-de-Paris, rather than the cathedral of Reims (like the Ancien Régime Kings), to clearly show that the Premier Empire had nothing to do with the defunct Monarchy. Is this a sign of illegitimacy? May be.
 

Le petit caporal

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Main reason why I haven't supplied requested proof of me being an ex-legionnaire, is I have a shite phone on its last legs...
Camera doesn't work and as for the British passport, no way... Je suis un républicain... Viva la Scozzia nazzioni.
Le nom de plume, “le petit Caporal”
... I was born on 05-05 (1965) and Napoleon died on 05-05 (1821)... He was born on an island, la Corse. I was born on an island called l'Écosse (we both took the ferry to join la Grande Armée). He disliked les Anglais and so do I. I dislike the French and so did he!
Yours sincerly. Beau gosse de l'Écosse.
Caporal Andy Little mle 167848
 
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