Travelers demonstrated on Friday near the headquarters of the European metropolis of Lille (Mel) to defend a
“charter of fundamental rights”
in the face of the
“deterioration”
of their reception conditions, which the Mel
“does not intend to sign at this stage"
. This charter aims to ensure Travelers
"fundamental rights, present in the French Constitution, to which we, Travelers, do not have the right"
, assures AFP Sue-Ellen Demestre, spokesperson for the collective Da So Vas, organizer of this mobilization.
It stipulates in particular that emergency services must have
“unhindered”
access to reception areas, that local authority agents must warn occupants 72 hours before any visit to the areas, and that they cannot enter caravans without authorization. of their occupants.
“Our rights are constantly violated, we are victims of discrimination which ranges from familiarity to arbitrary expulsions”
, lists Ms. Demestre, also mentioning the barriers at the entrance to the reception areas hindering the entry and exit of occupants and emergency services.
“We want to have Mr. (Damien) Castelain, president of Mel, sign this charter,”
she hopes.
No “arbitrary or discriminatory expulsions”
“At this stage, Mel does not intend to sign this charter which does not address the duties of travelers
,” indicates the metropolis, contacted by AFP. But Sue-Ellen Demestre and Marie Toussaint, head of the environmentalist list in the European elections present at the mobilization, were received by Patrick Delebarre, metropolitan advisor delegated to Travelers.
The metropolis assures that each expulsion
“was decided by order of the court”
.
“These are in no way arbitrary or discriminatory expulsions
. ”
La Mel has 14 reception areas and four passage areas, for nearly 900 places in total, the occupancy of which is subject to authorization. Marie Toussaint told AFP that
“Europe is the right scale to act”
on the quality of life of Travelers.
According to the Council of Europe, the life expectancy of Travelers is on average ten years shorter than that of the rest of the population,
"due to avoidable risks, including hunger and malnutrition, lack of vaccination , unsanitary housing and a significantly higher unemployment rate
.