In the report “Census of forced evictions from settlements of migrant Roma in France” Philippe Goossens, AEDH Board member in charge of discrimination and minority rights (including rights of Roma), compiled the figures of Roma forced evictions in France during the first quarter of 2013. Across all regions, more than 4,000 people have been evicted from their settlements without any alternative housing. The European Association for the Defence of Human Rights (AEDH) and the French League for Human Rights (LDH) condemn this situation and call on the French government to change its policy towards Roma.
This study provides an overview with figures of both forced evictions of migrant Roma and shattering of Roma settlements in France. During the first quarter of 2013, 4,152 people were forced to leave their settlements, representing a fifth of the Roma living in France (population estimated at around 20,000) – mainly Romanian and Bulgarian natives.
In comparison with the first quarter of 2012, there has been a sharp increase in the number of evicted people during the first quarter of 2013 for both those evicted by force by the authorities (2.873 compared with 2.153) and for those repatriated (272 compared with 70) or forced to leave their settlements due to a fire or an assault (1.007 compared with 777). Similarly, the number of Obligations to Leave French Territory (OQTF) is of 642 in 2013 compared with 347 in 2012.(1)
The implementation of the joint ministerial circular dated 26 August 2012 is very rare and heterogeneous. The assertion of the Minister of the Interior saying that “Roma are intended to remain in Romania or to return back there“(2) is wrong, because most of the Roma in France wish to become residents and wish to be integrated in France.
In addition there has been an increase in police presence and the multiplication of OQTFs, the report criticizes the lack of alternative housing: the proposed emergency shelters are only available for two or three days. These shelters are usually scattered, are far from children schooling places and they only concern a part of the population living in these settlements.
“I wish that when an unsafe camp is dismantled, alternatives are given. We cannot continue to accept that families are driven out off a place without giving them any solutions” (3). One year ago after the promise of François Hollande, the report shows that the situation regarding evictions sharply deteriorated with the new majority. French authorities continue to pursue a policy of rejection that causes serious and deep harm to a population who are already living in extreme precarious conditions. They continue to violate the fundamental rights of these populations.
This official speech by Francois Hollande has stirred increasingly more intolerance reactions and increased escalation of violence by residents and the radicalization of rejection.
The AEDH and the LDH believe that this situation has to change:
- The French Government must respect its commitments made during the presidential campaign: stop deporting Roma from their settlements without giving any alternative solution. It must promote the fundamental rights of all populations.
- The European Commission should remind France its commitments made during the adoption of the European treaties, and in particular the European Directive on free movement.
- If national insertion strategies are viable goals, then they must be based on the respect for all the rights of these populations in order to effectively fight against discriminations and violence suffered by Roma in France.
The report of the first quarter of 2013 is available in French here on the AEDH website(4).
(1) Obligation de Quitter le Territoire Français, OQTF
(2) Manuel Valls : « Les démantèlements de camps Roms se poursuivront », Le Parisien, 14 March 2013
(3) Letter from François Hollande to Romeurope, 27 March 2012 (in French)
(4) Census of forced evictions from settlements of migrant Roma in France – first quarter 2013