Prior to the 2024 Olympic Games, homeless refugees in Paris gathered in the streets to demand a resolution to the city’s persistent lack of housing. Protesters laid on mattresses and pitched tents while others chanted and pounded drums in front of government buildings.
French President Emmanuel Macron bused hundreds of destitute immigrants out of the city before the start of the Paris Olympics. Some of the displaced persons who agreed to leave claimed they were made false promises of jobs and a better life in other towns.
Just under half of France’s homeless population, or around 150,000 people, stay in Paris. Leading up to the Olympics, more than 12,000 homeless foreign refugees and sex workers have been moved out.
Refugees seeking asylum are primarily from African, South Asian, and Middle Eastern countries. Many of the 2024 Paris refugees came from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast, all of which have French-speaking populations.
There were accusations of social sanitizing leveled at Macron in May when riot police tore down tents belonging to homeless men beside the River Seine and moved them hundreds of miles away.
According to refugee aid groups, Paris does not have the resources to assist and accommodate asylum seekers. The entitlement to state-funded housing that was granted to those seeking refuge is forfeited if their asylum is denied. The groups believe the state is attempting to keep refugees hidden from sight.
Even the Bouquinistes, who have set up shop on the banks of the Seine for over 400 years selling vintage books and postcards in their distinctive green kiosks, were threatened by municipal authorities trying to shoo them away.
The 2024 Summer Olympics, with some pre-games events already held on July 24th, will take place in Paris, France from July 26th to August 11th. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, July 26, at 7:00 PM local time.
