La Courneuve. One of the oldest slums in France will be evacuated – Ouest-France

A petition has been launched by the inhabitants of one of the oldest Roma slums of France, located since 2008 in Seine-Saint-Denis, to oppose their expulsion, and had gathered Tuesday more than 2300 signatures e.

The communist municipality of La Courneuve, a popular town in the northern suburbs of Paris which is installed for 7 years the Samaritan the camp, called expulsion. It could take place in the coming weeks, according to Médecins du Monde.

“We do not seek to pass law ‘ write the petitioners. “In a communist city that has built its reputation on a tradition of solidarity, the situation seems absurd. We only have a short time to convince the mayor (…) to cancel his deportation request would send 300 men, women and children in the streets “, they add to the site Change. org.

“The oldest slum France”

The Samaritan camp, squeezed between the A86 motorway and the ways of the RER B, is presented by its inhabitants as “the oldest slum France” . Roma camps, particularly numerous in Seine-Saint-Denis, are usually expelled within a few months.

In a statement, the municipality of La Courneuve has justified its request for expulsion, initiated in 2013 : at the time, “La Courneuve were 11 illegally occupied premises on which lived under humane and sanitary conditions simply unworthy of our company up to 2000 persons”

Organised around a “church” built by the inhabitants, a large colorful room at the center of the camp, the slum hosts 80 families, according to the association Voice of Roma.

Project “out of the slum”

The slums of expulsions, which are from a 2012 circular be preceded by a social diagnosis and accompanied by hosting proposals are common in Seine-Saint -Denis. But the Samaritan associations see in the camp is an example of integration actions and support that can be conducted when residents can remain in the long term.

Most were followed by doctors, “a quarter of men may have employment contracts” and a project “Exit the slum” with training and jobs expected, was proposed by the Abbé Pierre Foundation Médecins du Monde (MdM), said Nathalie Godardde MdM.

This was to offer “an alternative to expulsion, which would come from civil society and would not cost money to city ​​”, regrets Jozsef Farkas, 17, a resident of the slum which is coordinating the mobilization.

The city council for its part claims to have ” not involved “ in this project and opposed lest he tends to it “to perpetuate the slums” .