Most of the dwellers had tried and failed to receive recognition as undocumented minors upon arriving in France, and now face ongoing legal proceedings that would be further complicated by any relocation, on-site nonprofit representatives told reporters.
Tuesday’s evacuation was part of a broader relocation program set up by the French state in April 2023, which is set to run until the end of 2024. Although this period coincides with preparation for the Olympics, the French government adamantly denied any causal relationship: “Given the saturation of accommodation in the Île-de-France region, not everyone can find a solution. And that’s why, with no connection whatsoever to the Olympic Games, the government has implemented a policy of decongesting,” Housing Minister Guillaume Kasbarian told French lawmakers in March.
More than 80 French nonprofit organizations working with Paris’ unhoused and undocumented population have gathered in the so-called Revers de la médaille (the flipside of the medal) collective, pushing for the Paris 2024 Summer Games to leave “a positive social legacy” and calling out the “ongoing social cleansing” in the run-up to the global event.
“We can give [the government] the benefit of the doubt, though the timing is a little suspicious,” said Antoine de Clerck, a spokesperson for Revers de la médaille, about the events happening in the run-up to the Games.
“What’s obvious is that the policy has changed,” de Clerck added. “Previously, those with no ties to the Paris region were offered relocation; those who were working or undergoing medical treatments were offered local solutions. Now, the only choice is relocation or being left on the streets.”
On Tuesday, only two of the camp’s inhabitants chose to relocate to Angers; the rest stayed in Paris with no immediate housing solution.