As Paris gears up for the Olympic Games next month, French authorities have been expelling homeless individuals, including asylum seekers, according to a report by the NGO collective Le Revers de la Medaille.
The report highlights that over the past year, 12,545 people were expelled from the capital, marking a 38.5% increase compared to 2021-2022. These expulsions have primarily targeted vulnerable groups, including asylum seekers, families in precarious conditions, and drug addicts.
Authorities have also dismantled tent camps used by irregular migrants and prevented them from returning to the same locations without offering safer alternatives or shelter.
Le Revers de la Medaille has called for the establishment of 20,000 shelters nationwide, including 7,000 in Ile-de-France, and a humanitarian center for those evicted from Paris. The organization emphasized the need for durable solutions for these populations rather than mere expulsions.
The Olympic Games are set to take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11.–News Desk