French authorities have rejected more than 3,500 applicants to work at the Olympics over terror links and security threats.
Gérald Darmanin, the interior minister, announced that the government conducted hundreds of thousands of investigations to screen applicants who posed a risk to the games and to national security.
He said: “770,000 administrative investigations have been carried out to date, resulting in the exclusion of 3,570 people.”
The rejected applicants include 130 people designated “Fiche S”, the government’s watch list for terrorism suspects and threats to national security, along with dozens of people with ties to radical Islamists, or the ultra-Left and ultra-Right, he added.
Nearly one million people, including athletes, trainers, journalists, volunteers and private security guards, will be given accreditations and security clearance to enter sensitive areas throughout the Paris Olympic games, which runs from July 26 to Aug 11, then resumes from Aug 28 to Sept 8 for the Paralympics.
France has been under its highest security alert since March, after a terrorist attack claimed by the Islamic State killed 145 people at a Russian concert hall. Earlier this month, Mr Darmanin revealed that the government had recently foiled two separate terror attack plots against France.
A security force of 30,000 to 45,000, including police and gendarmes, will be mobilised across the capital throughout the games, with vigilance at the maximum during the opening ceremony on July 26, which will be held on the River Seine, a first in modern Olympic history.
In the run-up to the games, organisers had been plagued by concerns of a major shortfall in security personnel. As late as April, the French federation for private security (FFSP) said they were still short of 8,000 agents. As of last week, the shortfall has been reduced to 1,000 agents.
“We are operating at full speed in terms of recruitment and training.” Pierre Brajeux, president of the FFSP, told news channel France Info.
The Paris games is unique as many of the competitions will be held near historic landmarks in the city centre rather than stadiums on the outskirts of the city, presenting major security risks.
In the days leading up to the opening ceremony, the area along the River Seine will become a high-security zone requiring residents and visitors alike to present a security code at checkpoints, justifying their right to entry.