Issued on: 17/11/2020
Migrants were evacuated from a makeshift camp in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis in the early hours of November 17, 2020. © Christophe Archambault, AFPVIDEO https://www.france24.com/en/france/20201117-french-police-clear-more-than-2-000-people-from-makeshift-migrant-camp-near-paris
Text by:FRANCE 24
French police forcibly evacuated more than 2,000 migrants from a makeshift camp in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis near the Stade de France in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The dismantling of the migrant camp was denounced by human rights associations as part of an "endless and destructive cycle".
The forced evacuations will see the migrants moved to various reception centres and sometimes gymnasiums in the Île-de-France (greater Paris) region. From around 4:30am local time, migrants began queueing to board buses along with their belongings.
According to the organisation France Terre Asile, about 2,400 migrants were living in the camp, which has been expanding since August.
"These camps are not acceptable," declared the Paris police prefect, Didier Lallement, at a press briefing. "This operation aims to ensure that people with the right to be here are given shelter and those who do not have that right do not remain on French territory."
In all, 70 buses were used to transport migrants to 26 accommodation centres.
The situation of migrants has been further complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In early October, Médecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders or MSF) published a survey on exposure levels among the most vulnerable. Of more than 800 people tested by the NGO at different centres around Île-de-France, 10 emergency accommodation centres had a Covid-19 positive rate of between 23 and 62 percent.
In a press release published Tuesday, around 30 migrant advocate organisations signed an open letter denouncing the "endless and destructive cycle" of forced evacuations.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Text by:FRANCE 24
French police forcibly evacuated more than 2,000 migrants from a makeshift camp in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis near the Stade de France in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The dismantling of the migrant camp was denounced by human rights associations as part of an "endless and destructive cycle".
The forced evacuations will see the migrants moved to various reception centres and sometimes gymnasiums in the Île-de-France (greater Paris) region. From around 4:30am local time, migrants began queueing to board buses along with their belongings.
According to the organisation France Terre Asile, about 2,400 migrants were living in the camp, which has been expanding since August.
"These camps are not acceptable," declared the Paris police prefect, Didier Lallement, at a press briefing. "This operation aims to ensure that people with the right to be here are given shelter and those who do not have that right do not remain on French territory."
In all, 70 buses were used to transport migrants to 26 accommodation centres.
The situation of migrants has been further complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In early October, Médecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders or MSF) published a survey on exposure levels among the most vulnerable. Of more than 800 people tested by the NGO at different centres around Île-de-France, 10 emergency accommodation centres had a Covid-19 positive rate of between 23 and 62 percent.
In a press release published Tuesday, around 30 migrant advocate organisations signed an open letter denouncing the "endless and destructive cycle" of forced evacuations.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
French police clear makeshift migrant camp in Paris
A illegal encampment housing some 2,000 asylum-seekers from conflict zones like Somalia and Aghanistan was cleared by police. Migrant advocates worry the camp's inhabitants will end up back on the street.
French authorities cleared up a large migrant camp in the north part of Paris on Tuesday. The illegal encampment was next door to the French national sports stadium, the Stade de France, in the suburb of Saint Denis.
Police said they were motivated by safety reasons, in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. NGOs assisting the migrants at the camp said some 2,000 people were living there, including families with children.
The figure was confirmed by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who said the inhabitants were living in "miserable conditions."
The evicted migrants were predominantly asylum seekers from conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Somalia, and Sudan.
Police arrived before dawn at the camp, which was composed of a mix of tents and improvised shelters made out of plastic sheeting and cardboard boxes.
Authorities ordered the migrants onto buses, which resulted in a crush as many tried to board at the same time. The Reuters news agency reported that police had deployed tear gas to restore order and disperse crowds.
French authorities routinely cleared out camps around Paris
Local authorities pledged that new accommodations would be found for the migrants. Philippe Caro, a volunteer with an association called Solidarite migrants Wilson, which helps people at the camp, said the accommodation being offered was often inadequate.
"In spite of everything, there are going to be people left out on the street," Caro said.
French police have cleared dozens of camps in recent years around Paris. But amid a lack of housing opportunities for asylum-seekers, new makeshift settlements keep reappearing.
Critics of the French migration policy say the evictions are purely symbolic political move, to show that the state cracking down on migrants, but without actually addressing deeper issues.
jcg/dj (dpa, Reuters)
A illegal encampment housing some 2,000 asylum-seekers from conflict zones like Somalia and Aghanistan was cleared by police. Migrant advocates worry the camp's inhabitants will end up back on the street.
French authorities cleared up a large migrant camp in the north part of Paris on Tuesday. The illegal encampment was next door to the French national sports stadium, the Stade de France, in the suburb of Saint Denis.
Police said they were motivated by safety reasons, in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. NGOs assisting the migrants at the camp said some 2,000 people were living there, including families with children.
The figure was confirmed by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who said the inhabitants were living in "miserable conditions."
The evicted migrants were predominantly asylum seekers from conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Somalia, and Sudan.
Police arrived before dawn at the camp, which was composed of a mix of tents and improvised shelters made out of plastic sheeting and cardboard boxes.
Authorities ordered the migrants onto buses, which resulted in a crush as many tried to board at the same time. The Reuters news agency reported that police had deployed tear gas to restore order and disperse crowds.
French authorities routinely cleared out camps around Paris
Local authorities pledged that new accommodations would be found for the migrants. Philippe Caro, a volunteer with an association called Solidarite migrants Wilson, which helps people at the camp, said the accommodation being offered was often inadequate.
"In spite of everything, there are going to be people left out on the street," Caro said.
French police have cleared dozens of camps in recent years around Paris. But amid a lack of housing opportunities for asylum-seekers, new makeshift settlements keep reappearing.
Critics of the French migration policy say the evictions are purely symbolic political move, to show that the state cracking down on migrants, but without actually addressing deeper issues.
jcg/dj (dpa, Reuters)
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