two senators urged to extend temporary protection beyond Ukrainians
The two elected officials denounce an “absurd and ineffective” immigration policy with in particular a lack of care for unaccompanied minor migrants and a lack of emergency accommodation.
Two environmental senators called this Saturday, after a visit to migrant camps and places of detention in Calais, to extend the temporary protection mechanism beyond Ukrainians in order to put an end to an “absurd and ineffective” immigration policy according to them.
“We are for an unconditional welcome” of foreigners in France, “and we realized with the reception of Ukrainians that it was possible to put it in place,” said Guillaume Gontard, senator for Isère.
He deplored the current “inefficient” migration policy, which diverts border police resources to the “race for migrants”, to the “detriment of work on terrorism or drug trafficking”.
“Dysfunctions” in reception centers
The two elected officials visited reception centers set up by the prefecture, camps, the administrative detention center (CRA) and the premises of the Border Police. Within the CRA with a capacity of 104 places, around 90 Albanian, Iranian or Afghan men in particular, were detained this Saturday, after having been arrested in Calais or Paris.
The occupants complained in particular of the lack of access to their telephone, limited to one hour a day, at imposed and random times, and for some of violence and provocations on the part of certain police officers.
The senators said they had noted “dysfunctions”, in particular a lack of care for isolated minor migrants, and a lack of emergency accommodation when a very cold plan was activated after snowfall.
“Always at the limit of the right”
They also denounced a “harassment policy”, with the seizure of tents occupied by exiles and their almost daily displacement to prevent any long-term installation, “even though we know that they will not turn back “.
“We are always at the limit of the right” lamented Rhône Senator Raymonde Poncet Monge.
The prefect of Pas-de-Calais was recently sentenced for evading judicial authority during a major eviction in September 2021.