World IN BRIEF : FRANCE : Police Empowered to Check Identities
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
The French Senate approved a bill allowing police wide-ranging powers to make spot identity checks as part of a government crackdown on illegal immigration. The bill, passed 228 to 88, will allow police to ask anyone to present identity papers “no matter what his behavior.” The new law means police will recover the powers they had before Socialist-led governments passed legislation a decade ago saying police could only carry out identity checks if they had reason to think lawbreaking was under way.
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