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From the first days of the war in February 2022, the City of Nice mobilized to welcome Ukrainian refugees on its soil.
A question of solidarity, support and humanism.
They are thus several thousand to have flocked to the Baie des Anges, in search of refuge and safety.
A year later and while the fighting continues to rage, the politics of Nice have not changed.
Welcome, protect, include.
However, even far from the Russian yoke, the Ukrainians are victims of pressure, threats and intimidation.
Witness the inscriptions discovered on Sunday on a screen-printed car in Ukraine and parked in the parking lot of the Gare du Sud, in Nice: "
Go home deserter
", in other words "
Go home deserter
".
A door was also scratched.
The owner of the vehicle is a young Ukrainian woman, who arrived in Nice in March 2022, with her children.
On Facebook, her sister, who has lived in France for several years, protests:
“Her husband is in Ukraine.
They see each other, at best, twice a year.
I am furious.
»
Contacted by
Le Figaro
, Mariya*, a representative of the Franco-Ukrainian association of the Côte d'Azur, believes that this kind of message is not uncommon.
"It's like that every week,"
she says.
They are found on Ukrainian vehicles, the tires are punctured or the bodies scratched.
Sometimes, we also discover Z or even swastikas on the Ukrainian flags.
Proof of the climate of mistrust that reigns within the Ukrainian community settled in Nice, Mariya, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacts us on a hidden number.
“You never know, I prefer to remain cautious”
, she says.
The latter also explains that some members of the community benefited from police protection for a time after receiving
“serious”
threats.
“Our children also received instructions.
My son, who walks to school, knows he shouldn't talk to anyone and not go near cars
,” continues Mariya.
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Still, the filing of complaints remains rare.
“At the police station, we are told that it is useless because they will never find those who do this.
And then we are told that it remains small offenses
, regrets Mariya.
So we stay in our corner, we don't bother anyone and we don't make a fuss.
We try to keep our spirits up and take positive action, without looking for conflict.”
The next in date: a distribution of gifts on the Promenade des Anglais for Easter.
“To thank the French for their welcome!”
Mariya insists.
*Name has been changed.