French Police Clear People from Makeshift Migrant Camp near Paris (+Video)

The dismantling of the migrant camp was denounced by human rights associations as part of an “endless and destructive cycle”.  

The forced evacuations will see the migrants moved to various reception centers and sometimes gymnasiums in the Île-de-France (greater Paris) region. From around 4:30am local time, migrants began queueing to board buses along with their belongings.

According to the organization France Terre Asile, about 2,400 migrants were living in the camp, which has been expanding since August.

In all, 70 buses were used to transport migrants to 26 accommodation centers.

The situation of migrants has been further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In early October, Médecins sans frontières (Doctors Without Borders or MSF) published a survey on exposure levels among the most vulnerable. Of more than 800 people tested by the NGO at different centers around Île-de-France, 10 emergency accommodation centers had a COVID-19 positive rate of between 23 and 62 percent.

In a press release published Tuesday, around 30 migrant advocate organizations signed an open letter denouncing the “endless and destructive cycle” of forced evacuations.