The Alpes-Maritimes department, which claims to be facing an “
explosion
” of immigration and having taken charge of a record number of unaccompanied minors in 2022, launched “
again an appeal to the government
” on Wednesday.
President LR of the departmental council, Charles-Ange Ginésy indicated in a press release that he had seized "
a week ago the Minister of the Interior and the Keeper of the Seals, so that, like the jungle of Calais or the he
reception of
the Ocean Viking
in Toulon, the State assumes its responsibility in the face of massive immigration
” at the Franco-Italian border of Menton.
“Government Silence”
“
I am still awaiting two decisions from the State: the first, an acceleration of the legal procedures necessary to distribute, throughout the national territory, these migrants whose main gateway to France is in Menton;
the second, a large-scale requisition of accommodation sites to allow the immediate protection of these minors
”, added Charles-Ange Ginésy, who “
regrets the silence of the government
”.
Last week, the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture indicated that nearly 700 unaccompanied minors (UMs) were currently being cared for by the department and that the reception centers were saturated.
“
The flow in January remains very high, hence the saturation of the system, despite the increase in the number of places
”, added the prefecture, while the reception of these minors is the responsibility of the department.
Read alsoDid the Ocean Viking deliberately avoid Tunisia to land illegal immigrants in Europe?
To cope with this influx, a hotel was requisitioned on Tuesday in Antibes, where 25 minors were taken care of, said the departmental council, long chaired by Éric Ciotti, the new boss of the Les Républicains party.
"
We are victims of the absence of a coordinated European migration policy, the responsibility of which is that of the State and not of a department on its own
," said Charles-Ange Ginésy.
Humanitarian associations, for their part, denounce the insufficient reception conditions.
“
The foster homes are totally saturated.
We denounce the lack of anticipation of the department in the face of this humanitarian crisis
”, reacted last week David Nakache, president of the association “
All citizens
”.
