France continues with its unlawful and costly policy of evicting Roma who
have made use of their right to freedom of movement within the European Union
from countries such as Romania. Between 1 April and 30 June 2014, 3,807 Roma
were evicted from 40 different places. Fires in two settlements left 51 Roma
homeless, while the French authorities implemented forced evictions in 38
settlements.
According to the findings of a survey conducted by the European Roma Rights
Centre (ERRC) and the Ligue des droit de l’homme (LDH), there were 28 evictions
due to court orders (eviction procedure started by landowners), eight evictions
following an ordinance by the local mayor or prefect citing security reasons,
and two settlements where people chose to leave, under the threat of imminent
forced eviction.
During the first three months of 2014, the French authorities forcibly
evicted a total of 3,428 Roma. The new figures gathered by the ERRC and the LDH
clearly reflect that, despite commitments and criticism, the French authorities
pursue their eviction policy rather than seeking ways to ensure full integration
of Roma into French society.
Eviction policies violate the fundamental rights of Roma, secured by domestic
legislation, including the French Constitution, as well as international law by
which France is bound. Evictions should be accompanied by rehousing and social
support for the affected people, as set out in French government guidance
published on 26 August 2012. In practice, temporary accommodation is offered to
some families chosen using unclear criteria, but not to others. It is impossible
under these conditions to implement any integration policy. The authorities do
not fully adhere to their own guidance, in particular when it comes to measures
aimed at integration. The guidance is nothing more than window dressing and
evictions are in fact the automatic response of the authorities.
These evictions are costly and do not bring any sustainable or fair solution
to the problem of Roma living in slums. Furthermore, the eviction policy hinders
all the integration efforts promised by the French Government in its National
Strategy and increases the vulnerability of Roma, pushing them further to the
margins. Dehumanising evictions, coupled with racist comments by officials (including
high-level politicians) claiming, for example, that Roma are unable to integrate,
pave the way for violent actions such as the brutal attack on 13 June 2014 when
a 16 year-old Romani boy was nearly beaten to death by a mob.
The ERRC has challenged France’s eviction policy before the European Court of
Human Rights. On 22 May 2014, the ECtHR decided to hear the case of Hirtu and
others v France, about the forced eviction of Romani families in early 2013. The
Court will scrutinise France’s practice of forced evictions and the way the
French courts have responded to this practice. The Court has given the case
priority treatment, a measure reserved for the most serious category of cases.
The Ligue des Droits de l’Homme is seeking permission to intervene in the case
as a third party.
