REPORTAGE. Toulouse: diving into the open-air shantytown on the banks of the Garonne
In a few months, dozens of Albanians have arrived in this slum, on the banks of the Garonne with a single idea in mind when they arrive, to leave it as soon as possible.
“It seems to me that misery seemed less painful in the sun” sang Charles Aznavour in his title “Take me away”. For 52 Albanian families, misery, even in the sun and on the banks of the Garonne, remains… misery. Several months ago, a handful of undocumented immigrants settled illegally on the banks of the river. And despite the flood that ravaged their makeshift homes, they were joined by other disoriented Albanians, homeless and looking for landmarks.
From the Garigliano bridge, you can see a real slum where resourcefulness is the watchword. The makeshift shelters are made of wood, plastic, sheet metal… The fathers of families scour the city’s garbage cans every morning in search of these recycled materials. showing a roof made with bed slats and a tarp”.
Sometimes, the objects recovered in the dustbins are used to make a little money. “We do not have the choice to eat. We take a few things and sell them on the Reynerie market, ”says one of the Albanians, who wishes to remain anonymous.
“We all want to leave”
The crossing of the path that runs along the huts is lulled by Albanian music. Children cool off with the spray from a garden hose.
“The prefecture connected us to the water,” explains Mireila, a resident of the camp, in impeccable French. For electricity, a few resourceful people have plugged into the lampposts on the bridge above and which hide them a little from the outside world and under which some are fishing, just to kill time.
If life seems to be organized in this slum, all its inhabitants want to leave. The insalubrity is dangerously visible. Mounds of garbage cans are strewn on the ground. “These are not conditions for living. We all try to call the Samu social but we don’t get any answers…”, confides Mireila.
This hundred Albanians say they are abandoned. Some associations pass from time to time, “without meeting our needs”, they despair. “We are clearly visible from the bridge. Why do people act like we don’t exist? asks Mireila.