France: Police admits largest refugee camp in Paris

After weeks of controversy, French police cleared largest illegal migrant camp in Paris. The action had already been announced last week by Interior Minister Gérard Collomb: humanitarian problems in camps had become unbearable for Parisians. Now he shared on Twitter that camp's residents should be accommodated in about 20 accommodations in capital region. The radio news channel Franceinfo reported that eviction, which had begun at 6 o'clock in morning, was completed. There were no reports of incidents.

ℹ ️ @gerardcollomb a demandé ce matin aux services de l'etat de procéder à évacuation du campement du Millénaire à Paris. Le ministre remercie dès à présent les agents mobilisés pour leurs implication dans cette opération permettant de préserver la dignité des personnes pic.twitter.com/v80LAT8FfA

— Ministère de Intérieur (@Place_Beauvau) May 30, 2018

For months, more and more migrants have been settling on banks of two canals in east and norast of French capital. According to Collomb, last 2,300 people lived in two camps. Relief organizations had repeatedly criticized precarious hygiene and living conditions re. There were also serious security concerns after two migrants drowned.

The eviction is not first of its kind. There are always such camps in Paris. According to Collomb, new eviction is 35 since 2015. More than 28,000 people have since been accommodated elsewhere. "This situation will be repeated indefinitely if local authorities do not take any action to prevent camps from reappearing," he shared and demanded a long schedule of city.

One of two refugee camps on canal Saint-Denis in north of Paris © Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, on or hand, sees central government as a duty. "Life is in danger", it is quoted by newspaper Le Parisien. For weeks, she had asked government of President Emmanuel Macron to act.

There are 750 places in five first-time reception centres in Paris region. According to aid organisation, many of illegal Campierenden do not want to enter official asylum shelters – partly because y feared deportation or rejection of ir asylum applications.

Date Of Update: 30 May 2018, 12:02