Hunger strike at French detention centres
Whilst the French president has spent the seasonal break showing off his new girlfriend, the Italian-born ex-super model Carla Bruni, other less well-connected immigrants have been having a bleaker Christmas, writes Christina Duval.
Last week, detainees at an immigration detention centre began a hunger strike in protest at the 25 000 expulsions that have taken place over the last year and over their dehumanising conditions of detention. The hunger strike in Vincennes, in the east of the Paris region, is the latest act of defiance amongst those held in the centres that began at a detention centre next to Charles de Gaulle airport and has since spread to other centres.
Way back in 2005, a report by the Council of Europe human rights commissioner lambasted France for its treatment of detained immigrants and its policy of accelerating asylum procedures in order to increase the number of expulsions. Since then the attacks on immigrants have increased and conditions have got worse. With Sarkozy’s election early last year there has been a rapid increase in the numbers of sans-papiers (immigrants without identity papers) arrested and placed in detention, as the local state authorities have fallen over themselves to reach the government target to expel 25 000 by the end of the year.
This shameful target has been achieved by the most insidious means. The state is increasingly picking up those who have been summoned to report to police stations and police squads have even turned up in force at schools to grab school children. Solidarity action has also met with repression with the increasing criminalisation of activists involved in helping and housing sans-papiers.
The hunger strikers have attacked these despicable methods used by the French state. They are refusing to be treated as “sub-human” and are asserting their entirely reasonable desire to live in dignity as workers. To achieve this they are calling for the immediate closure of the detention centres, papers for all, freedom of movement and an immediate end of all expulsions.
The strike is holding strong despite police repression which has resulted in injuries amongst the strikers who are being isolated and denied access to external medical care. The leaders of the action have been moved to different centres.
There will be demonstrations in France on Saturday 5 January in support of the demands of the detainees. Activists will also be mobilising to build for the European day of action on 19th January against proposals concerning the detention and deportation of non-European immigrants which will be discussed by the European Parliament later this month.
The European Directive being tabled is a continuation and extension of the deeply repressive policies that have been implemented by various European states and will reinforce the EU’s status as Fortress Europe. Detention – of people who have committed no crime bar trying to better their lives – will be extended to up to 18 months and those who are expelled will be banned from Europe for five years!
Fri 04, January 2008 @ 23:28
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