⁍ France is preparing to expel 231 foreigners on a government watch list for suspected extremist religious beliefs.

---

⁍ A police union source said on Sunday, two days after a Russian-born Islamist beheaded a teacher.

---

⁍ France defines extremists as ‘people who, engaged in a process of radicalisation, are likely to want to go abroad to join terrorist groups or take part in terrorist activities

– In the wake of Friday’s beheading of a teacher in front of his school, France is preparing to deport more than 200 foreigners suspected of being extremists. A police union source tells Reuters that Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has asked local prefects to order the expulsions of 231 foreigners on a government watch list for “people who, engaged in a process of radicalization, are likely to want to go abroad to join terrorist groups or take part in terrorist activities.” France defines extremists as “people who, engaged in a process of radicalization, are likely to want to go abroad to join terrorist groups or take part in terrorist activities,” the BBC reports. Of the total number of suspects, 180 are currently in prison and 51 are due to be arrested in the next hours, the police union source says. Darmanin also asked his ministry’s services to examine more closely the requests of people wishing to obtain the status of refugee in France, the source says. The 18-year-old suspected Islamist who beheaded the teacher was born in Russia of Chechen origin and had refugee status. President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist government has been under pressure from conservative and far-right parties to take a tougher stance on non-nationals deemed to pose a security threat. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin asked local prefects to order the expulsions at a meeting on Sunday afternoon, according to the source and Europe 1. Of the total number of suspects, 180 people are currently in prison and 51 were due to be arrested in the next hours.