About 500 homeless people, mainly migrants including Afghans and families with children, set up tents on Wednesday September 1 in Paris, under the windows of the prefecture of the Ile-de-France region, in order to ask the state “
Dignified and lasting hosting solutions
”.
Read also In France, the impossible deportation of Afghan refugees "at risk"
This new camp, in the 15th arrondissement, was set up on the initiative of the “
Collectif Réquisitions
”, which brings together several associations multiplying punch actions to make these exiles visible in the street.
Dozens of tents were set up at 1:00 p.m. on the lawns of André Citroën Park, where many unaccompanied foreign minors were also found.
“
We set up in front of the regional prefecture to confront it with the vulnerability of people on the street.
And we will stay until it
takes them away, ”warned Pierre Mathurin, a manager of the Utopia56 association.
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In Paris, homeless people and refugees settle in Place des Vosges
In the “
family
”
space
, Karamoko, who arrived from Côte d'Ivoire “
a few weeks ago
”, shares a tent with her husband and her 3-year-old son. “
I have a lot of hope. For the moment we are sleeping in a tent and it is already cold at night,
”said this 23-year-old young woman.
At least fifteen homeless Afghans were present at the camp at midday and others were expected “
in a trickle
” in the afternoon, according to Utopia56.
"
I came on foot from Afghanistan and today I live on the streets, under bridges,
" said Israr, 18, while setting up his blue tent.
He says he arrived in France three weeks ago after “
a year
” of exile.
The tenth action of the collective
This is the 10th action of the “
Collectif Réquisitions
”, in which also appear Migrant Solidarity Wilson, Children of Afghanistan and elsewhere and the DAL.
In July, this organization had occupied the very chic Place des Vosges, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, after a town hall gymnasium in May and a former nursery school in January.
“
These actions have provided more than 3,600 people with shelter.
It is not a pleasure but it is the only way to enforce their right to decent accommodation.
And this shows that when the state wants, the state does,
”said Philippe Caro, of the association Solidarité migrants Wilson.
See also Afghan refugees: "A biased controversy"
The regional prefecture, in charge of emergency accommodation, did not immediately respond to AFP's requests, while the Paris City Hall, owner of the park, refused to respond.
