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France: Campaign of "social cleansing" denounced by 80+ non-profits working with migrants & homeless people ahead of Paris Olympics
One month before the 2024 Paris Olympics, a group of more than 80 migrant workers and rights organisations has published a report on the trend of "social cleansing" associated with preparations for the Olympics on the streets of Paris. Eviction operations have increased and migrants systematically sent to other regions of France, including people in vulnerable situations such as homeless people, migrants, sex workers and drug users. The authorities have denied for several months correlation between the eviction policy and the upcoming sporting event.
To create a picture-postcard city, we relocate people and make them invisible. What we're observing on the ground echoes what happened at previous Olympics abroad: they don't want the most marginalised people to be visible to cameras or tourists.Antoine de Clerck, a campaigner from Revers de la médaille