PARIS (AP) — French police evicted migrants from a makeshift tent-camp next to Paris City Hall early on Tuesday, the latest clear-out of people without homes that aid groups allege is a campaign to beautify the French capital ahead of the Summer Olympics.
In an operation that began before dawn, police woke around 100 teenage boys and young men from West Africa, telling them to pack their tents and belongings.
Paris police said the operation was carried out for security reasons, notably because the camp was near schools.
Paris-region officials told the men — many of them minors and in the process of seeking residency papers — that they could be housed temporarily for three weeks in the Loire-region town of Angers if they wished. A bus was waiting in a nearby street to take them first to a Paris-region transit center.
Only two or three men boarded the bus. Most of the others walked away, carrying their belongings. Some said they feared being left isolated and abandoned in Angers, 250 kilometers (150 miles) southwest of the French capital, once the three weeks of temporary accommodation run out.
Former Spain coach Del Bosque to head the commission overseeing beleaguered soccer federation
China releases report on global meteorological development in 2023
Hanjiang River in south China sees 3rd flood of 2024
Cangzhou edge Chengdu for first win of season
HSBC CEO Noel Quinn plans to retire
Chinese state councilor calls for strenuous efforts in final preparations for Paris Olympics
Paris 2024 countdown 100 days: moving forward amid expectations
Cangzhou edge Chengdu for first win of season
Box office: ‘Challengers’ scores with $15 million in ticket sales