Paris police conducted an eviction of underage migrants from a makeshift camp on Tuesday morning, described by aid groups as part of a controversial “social cleansing” initiative in preparation for the upcoming 2024 Olympics. Approximately 30 teenage boys and young men from West Africa, who were sleeping on the streets, were abruptly awakened by law enforcement before dawn on Tuesday and instructed to dismantle their tents and collect their belongings. The majority of them were minors in the midst of applying for residency permits.
“I was already fearful, but now I am even more scared because I have nowhere to go,” expressed a 16-year-old boy who had fled conflict in Burkina Faso and arrived in France just two months prior.
Authorities cited security concerns as the primary reason for the operation, specifically pointing out the camp’s proximity to schools. This operation occurred shortly after a significant eviction of France’s largest squatter camp in a suburb of southern Paris.
“This is another instance of the ongoing social purification occurring in Paris in anticipation of the Olympic Games,” stated Elias Hufnagel, a volunteer with an organization that aids refugees and immigrants. “The objective seems to be to prevent tourists from perceiving Paris as a city filled with migrants and asylum seekers.”
