France is
"very far from the exemplarity that one might expect of it"
in terms of respect for public freedoms and human rights, denounces Amnesty International in its 2021 report published on Tuesday March 29, criticizing in particular a policy of welcoming different migrants depending on whether they are Ukrainians or of other nationalities.
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"What we have seen in recent weeks contrasts sharply with the way in which, last year, the public authorities spoke of welcoming Afghans"
fleeing their country after the Taliban regained power in mid-August, underlined in front of the press Nathalie Godard, Director of Action at Amnesty International France.
The state has set up a reception and accommodation scheme offering
“at least 100,000 places”
, according to Jean Castex, for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
On August 16, in his speech on Afghanistan, Emmanuel Macron called for
"anticipate and protect us against significant irregular migratory flows",
grinds Amnesty International.
Nathalie Godard also underlines that the temporary protection granted by the European ministers of the EU to the refugees from Ukraine had
“also been requested for the Afghans, without success”
.
"It's an illustration of the 'double standards' that are much denounced today,"
she added.
Temporary protection will allow Ukrainian refugees to stay in the European Union for up to three years, to work there, to access the school system and to receive medical care there.
"Degrading treatment"
Amnesty International also stigmatizes the
"degrading treatment"
suffered by exiles, particularly in Calais (Pas-de-Calais):
"The police and local authorities limited their access to humanitarian aid and subjected them to harassment »
.
Critics of the fate of migrants in Calais and Grande-Synthe (North) were revived after the fatal shipwreck of 27 of them trying to cross the Channel on November 24, NGOs denouncing in particular lacerations of tents during evacuations , with the approval of the authorities.
The latter denied these accusations.
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In its annual report, Amnesty International also considers that France
“is one”
of the 67 countries in the world which
“adopted laws in 2021 that restrict freedom of expression, association and assembly”
.
The NGO cites the promulgation at the end of July 2021 of the law on the prevention of terrorism, which ratifies in particular the individual measures of administrative control and surveillance (Micas).
The law on criminal responsibility and internal security of January 24, 2022, authorizing the capture of images of demonstrations by drones, constitutes, according to Amnesty,
“one more step towards mass surveillance”
.
Finally, the so-called
“separatism”
law of August 24
“risks opening the way to discriminatory practices”
under the guise of fighting against radical Islamism, believes the organization.