French Government’s Controversial Move Ahead of Olympics

The French government’s recent actions have stirred controversy as thousands of homeless immigrants in Paris were put on buses and relocated ahead of the Olympics. The immigrants were allegedly promised housing in other locations, but many found themselves living on unfamiliar streets far from their original homes or facing potential deportation.

Impact on Immigrants

President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to showcase France’s grandeur during the Olympics clashes with the reality faced by many immigrants. The Olympic Village was constructed in one of Paris’s poorest suburbs, where numerous individuals reside in street encampments, shelters, or abandoned buildings.

Evictions and Relocations

Approximately 5,000 people, predominantly single men, have been evicted by the police and courts in Paris over the past year, according to Christophe Noël du Payrat, a senior federal official. These individuals are often encouraged to board buses to cities like Lyon or Marseille for relocation.

“We were expelled because of the Olympic Games,” said Mohamed Ibrahim, a migrant from Chad who was forced out of an abandoned cement factory near the Olympic Village. Ibrahim, along with others, was relocated to a vacant building south of Paris before being evicted in April and transferred by bus to a town outside Orléans.

Oumar Alamine, hailing from the Central African Republic, shared his experience: “They give you a random ticket. If it’s a ticket to Orléans, you go to Orléans.” Alamine found himself at a shelter in Orléans after being relocated from Paris.