Migrants and Homeless Expelled From Paris
Ahead of 2024 Olympic Games Thousands Have Been Forcibly Displaced
As the 2024 Olympic Games approach, so does the culmination of a year-long process of so-called social cleansing targeting the areas where the events will take place. Since early last year, localities in Île-de-France region have been systematically cleared of homeless people, migrants, sex workers, and other marginalized communities to present a sanitized image for athletes and tourists.
One of the latest communities at risk of forced displacement is a Roma encampment in La Courneuve, Seine-Saint-Denis, located on the route of the Paralympic marathon scheduled for September. About 200 people, most of whom moved from worse living conditions in a nearby camp, now live in fear of eviction, with no clear relocation plan proposed by the local authorities.
“There are chronically ill people, patients with measles—a communicable disease which must be strictly controlled—people with disabilities including an 8-year-old child. Are the para-athletes aware that disabled children are being expelled to enable the race?” Clément Étienne from Doctors of the World (MDM) asked during a conversation with L’Humanité.
12,000 people displaced, including thousands of children
Barring an unexpected court decision, these 200 individuals will join over 12,000 people, including more than 3,000 minors, who have been evicted since early 2023. According to the collective Le Revers de la Médaille (Other Side of the Medal), which has documented actions against disenfranchised communities during the Olympics preparations, these mass displacements are just one aspect of a broader strategy. The removal of the homeless, rising prices driving working-class people out, and the discontinuation of essential social services like food distribution, all have the same impact.
Public health is a significant concern for activists working with communities at risk of displacement. Even without the threat of eviction, these communities face daily health risks due to precarious living conditions: lack of nutritious food, adequate shelter, and proper medical care. Pregnant women, for example, are only offered priority—yet temporary—housing solutions from their third trimester until their children are three months old.
The process of social cleansing has been facilitated by policy changes pushed through by Emmanuel Macron’s administration, including the Kasbarian-Bergé anti-squat and Darmanin immigration laws. Unsurprisingly, migrants are among the groups targeted during Île-de-France’s “beautification.” Some have been relocated as far as Bordeaux with promises of housing and jobs, only to end up in rural areas with uncertain accommodations and no access to employment, they reported to MDM.
Cities across France affected
Bordeaux itself has been affected, as it will host some Olympic events. In March 2024, around 500 people were evicted from a shantytown near a designated football stadium. Similarly, in Lille, dozens were evicted to ensure the passage of the Olympic flame would not be marred by encampments. However, Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis face the highest pressure due to their high concentration of housing precariousness, according to Le Revers de la Médaille. Just three central Paris areas housed 46% of the homeless in the latest solidarity count by housing rights organizations.
Contrary to the bright legacy promised by Macron and his allies, the 2024 Olympic Games are set to be remembered for widespread repression against disempowered groups—not quite what the French president was hoping for.
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