France: Protect Roma families made homeless
A group of 150 people, mostly Roma migrants from Romania, including pregnant women and children, have been camping in front of the town hall of La Courneuve, Parisian region, since September. On 27 August, they were forcibly evicted from the informal settlement “Le Samaritain”. In the run-up to winter, these men, women and children must be immediately rehoused.
UA: 226/15 Index: EUR 21/2656/2015 France Date: 16 October 2015
URGENT ACTION
PROTECT ROMA FAMILIES MADE HOMELESS
A group of 150 people, mostly Roma migrants from Romania, including pregnant women
and children, have been camping in front of the town hall of La Courneuve, Parisian
region, since September. On 27 August, they were forcibly evicted from the informal
settlement “Le Samaritain”. In the run-up to winter, these men, women and children must
be immediately rehoused.
On 27 August, about 80 Roma families (some 300 people) were forcibly evicted from the informal settlement “Le
Samaritain”, one of the oldest in France, in violation of international human rights standards.
The families were not genuinely consulted prior to the eviction and they were not informed about the date of the
eviction. On the day of the eviction, the families were not given enough time by law enforcement agents to pack
their belongings and, as a result, many lost their documents.
Only a dozen people were offered shelter for a few days in hotels. The others were made homeless. Ever since the
eviction, about 150 people have been camping in front of the town hall. Many of them hold long term employment
contracts and send their children regularly to school.
In the run-up to winter, these men, women and children do not have access to water or sanitation and face
obstacles to accessing medical care. They must be provided immediately with adequate housing.
Please write immediately in French, English or your own language:
Urging the authorities to provide the Roma families with adequate housing, in accordance with international
human rights standards, and in genuine consultation with the affected families;
Calling on authorities to ensure an adequate monitoring of the social and health situation of each family so that
they can fully enjoy their human rights, including the rights to education, and to access health care.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 27 NOVEMBER 2015 TO:
Prefect of Seine Saint Denis
Mr Philippe Galli
Préfecture de Seine Saint Denis
1, Esplanade Jean Moulin
93 700 Bobigny cedex, France
Fax: +33 1 48 30 22 88
Email: prefecture@seine-saint-
denis.gouv.fr
philippe.galli@seine-saint-denis.gouv.fr
Salutation: Dear Prefect / Monsieur Le
Préfet
Copies to:
Delegate for equal opportunities
Mr Didier Leschi
Délégué à l’égalité des chances
Préfecture de Seine Saint Denis
1 esplanade Jean Moulin
93 007 Bobigny cedex, France
Fax: +33 1 48 30 22 88
Email: didier.leschi@seine-saint-
denis.gouv.fr
And copies to:
Mayor of La Courneuve
Mr Gilles Poux
Mairie de la Courneuve
Avenue de la République
93120 La Courneuve, France
Email: gilles.poux@ville-la-courneuve.fr
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
URGENT ACTION
PROTECT ROMA FAMILIES MADE HOMELESS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Forced evictions of Roma continue unabated in France. According to civil society organizations, more than 4700 Roma living in
42 informal settlements were evicted in the first semester of 2015. The majority of them were forcibly evicted.
Name: Roma families
Gender m/f: both
UA: 226/15 Index: EUR 21/2656/2015 Issue Date: 16 October 2015