Shocking Move: France's Sweeping Solution for Homelessness unveils Controversial Olympic Preparations

At 6:30 a.m., on a late summer morning in Paris, the Stalingrad Métro station echoes with rumbling. Under an overpass, hundreds of migrants, primarily men, find themselves tightly packed. Some find solace on cardboard and worn-out mattresses behind a fence reeking of urine, while others remain awake on the side of the street.

News gradually spreads that government buses are en route to collect them. Some anxiously await, hopeful that they will be provided with shelter, while most are filled with confusion and fear, worried that they will be compelled to leave Paris.

Over the past few months, the French government has been actively expediting the relocation of homeless individuals from Paris to various regions within the country. This initiative aims to alleviate the strain on emergency shelter services in the capital. According to official sources, between 50 and 150 people are transported to ten different locations across France on a weekly basis.

Although the government has denied any correlation between this relocation plan and the upcoming Olympics, set to be hosted by Paris in the summer of 2024, certain non-governmental organizations and elected officials suspect that the Games may be a contributing factor behind the recent implementation of this strategy.

"We were informed that they were coming to take us today, but I am uncertain about our destination," shared Obsa, a 31-year-old Ethiopian political refugee, in conversation with CNN. In order to protect himself from possible retaliations, he prefers to be referred to by a pseudonym.

Having embarked on a treacherous expedition in 2017, Obsa traversed from Ethiopia to France, passing through Sudan and Libya along the way, ultimately making the perilous Mediterranean crossing to Italy.

He currently holds a full-time position in Paris. However, despite residing in the city for many years, he has been unable to secure a permanent residence primarily due to exorbitant rental expenses and a scarcity of affordable social housing options. Obsa had been relying on emergency accommodation in a hotel, but when his wife joined him, they were refused entry. "They simply declined, stating that there was no room available for your wife," he recounted.

Homeless people sleep on old mattresses and cardboard under the Stalingrad Métro station in the northeast of Paris.

Dalal Mawad/CNN

In preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games next year, hotels in Paris are canceling their emergency housing contracts with the government to accommodate the anticipated increase in tourists. According to Paul Alauzy from Medecins Du Monde, an NGO that assists homeless migrants, Obsa's experience is not unique. In the Ile-de-France region, where Paris is situated, there were around 50,000 homeless individuals being provided hotels as temporary shelter in 2022. However, this year, approximately 5,000 of these hotel spots have already been canceled, potentially contributing to refugees like Obsa and his wife being forced onto the streets.

The Paris Prefecture informed CNN that around 2,000 emergency housing spots were effectively lost, considering the city's provision of alternative solutions to replace the canceled hotel rooms. However, the reduction in hotel rooms is not the primary concern for the homeless population in France. Approximately half of the homeless individuals in the country are concentrated in the Ile-de-France region, where they have greater access to charitable organizations, employment prospects, and personal networks.

According to data provided by the Ministry of Housing, approximately 200,000 individuals experience homelessness and are provided with housing every night nationwide, with half of them (100,000) located in the Ile-de-France region. In essence, the scarcity of emergency shelters in Paris leads to an inability to accommodate all those in need.

Crucial moment for Paris

While Obsa is being interviewed by CNN, a group of French policemen converge upon the area, surrounding it. Several spacious white buses arrive and obstruct the street. One of the buses is labeled "Bordeaux," while another bears the name "Marseille," both cities situated hundreds of miles away from the capital.

Members of local humanitarian organizations, along with the Paris police, engage in conversations with bewildered migrants who seem confused about the unfolding events.

Migrants are notified by authorities via a megaphone about their option to board buses destined for Marseille or Bordeaux, where accommodation will be provided for them. Those who prefer to remain in the capital are advised to demonstrate possession of a long-term employment agreement.

Nevertheless, even with such proof, having a place to live is not assured. "I cannot depart as I have a one-year employment contract," mentioned Obsa, an IT administrator. "At the very least, I must remain in the Ile-de-France area."

Police and workers from humanitarian organizations talk to those waiting to board a bus by the homeless camp in Paris.

According to data provided to CNN by the Interministerial Delegation for Accommodation and Access to Housing (Dihal), a government body that encompasses the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Housing, a total of 1,800 individuals experiencing homelessness, with migrants constituting the majority, have been relocated from Paris since April.

Some 10 regional temporary shelters, referred to as SAS, have been established across the nation by the Dihal to receive the incoming individuals outside of Paris. It is worth mentioning that each SAS has the capacity to accommodate up to 50 people.

Yara Nardi/Reuters

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Yann Manzi, founder of the French NGO Utopia 56 that assists homeless migrants, highlighted the urgency of the situation amidst the preparations for the Olympic Games. He criticized the state's failure to address the reality of the situation on the streets of Paris, leaving thousands of newly arrived people without any support.

The French government stated that in 2022, they received 155,773 asylum applications. Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin emphasized in televised interviews that France would welcome political refugees, but maintained that illegal migrants who were not facing persecution in their home countries would not be allowed into the country. Government statistics reveal that approximately 20,000 irregular immigrants were deported in 2022.

During a televised interview on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that France is fulfilling its responsibility to assist migrants arriving on European shores. He mentioned that the country allocates approximately 2 billion euros annually towards emergency accommodation for homeless individuals. However, Macron acknowledged that it is not feasible for France to address all of the world's suffering.

In response to CNN's inquiry, the Dihal denied any connection between the relocation plan and the upcoming Olympic Games. The organization asserted that its objective is to alleviate pressure on the Ile-de-France region while providing enhanced and personalized support for homeless individuals in other provinces.

According to a spokesperson from Paris 2024, the plan to relocate has no connection to the ongoing Games or the Rugby World Cup in France. The spokesperson stated that the issue of emergency accommodation in the Ile-de-France region is not a new problem and has worsened in recent months, regardless of the upcoming Paris 2024 Games.

We are just moving the problem

According to Manzi from Utopia 56, the relocation initiative might have potential, but the issue lies in the fact that the regional shelters are designed to accommodate individuals for a limited period of three weeks, as stated by the responsible cities. The subsequent course of action remains ambiguous.

In the SAS, assistance is provided to certain individuals in locating suitable housing and employment opportunities that align with their legal status; however, this intervention does not yield positive outcomes for everyone. According to Manzi, approximately 25 to 30% of individuals return to homelessness. "At the conclusion of this three-week period, they often find themselves without a viable solution, consequently leading them back to the sidewalks once again."

Paris, France, September 18, 2017 - Following the successful bid to host the 2024 Olympics, Paris proudly showcases the iconic Olympic Rings in a place of distinction. Placed prominently in front of the Eiffel Tower at the esteemed Trocadero, the Rings serve as a reminder of the city's extraordinary achievement. (Photo courtesy of Julien Mattia/NurPhoto/Getty Images)

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that the Russian flag should not be present at the Paris Olympics Games. In the city of Bordeaux, chosen as a host for a special administrative area (SAS), the number of disappeared flags reaches an alarming rate of 40%. Bordeaux's deputy mayor, Harmonie Lecerf-Meunier, conveyed that these flags are believed to be returning to Paris.

The SAS has witnessed an approximate 17% increase in individuals departing in recent weeks, as revealed by Dihal.

Furthermore, a concerning issue arises due to the insufficient availability of emergency housing in the regions where migrants are relocated. Brice emphasized that this solely displaces the problem rather than resolving it, as individuals find themselves without shelter once more, albeit in different locations than Paris.

According to a press statement in May 2023, the government has requested the prefectures to collaborate with local elected officials and associations to establish these centers. However, the mayors' offices of Lyon and Bordeaux, both cities hosting a SAS, have informed CNN that they were not consulted by the government. Lecerf-Meunier of Bordeaux stated, "We were only informed a day before."

Similarly, Sandrine Runel, the deputy mayor of Lyon, expressed to CNN that the government has hastily responded to the situation in Paris and the Ile-de-France region without ensuring adequate resources are available elsewhere. She mentioned, "The Olympics are being used as an excuse to redirect people to regions without any consideration or assessment of the regions' capacity to accommodate them."

According to Brice, discussing the issue of accepting foreigners, specifically migrants, is a complex matter both politically and socially. The government's decision to avoid this topic, in Brice's opinion, is a mistake.

Brice suggests that if France properly distributes the responsibility of accommodating migrants across different regions, it could provide more considerate, compassionate, and ultimately effective support to the thousands of migrants who enter the country annually. However, for this system to succeed, it must be adequately funded and well-managed. As emphasized by activists and host cities, it is crucial that all parties involved, including the relocated migrants and the hosting cities, are well-informed and actively participate in the planning process.

No guarantee of long-term housing

Abdullatif, a 29-year-old man from Afghanistan, appears stressed as he sits in the homeless camp beneath Stalingrad Metro station in Paris. He expresses his reluctance to leave the city, as he has just begun training as an electrician and needs to stay in Paris. Despite the uncertainties, he ultimately decides to remain in the capital. However, those who choose to stay are faced with an uncertain future. Alauzy, a representative from Medecins Du Monde who has observed numerous relocation operations, explains that individuals must either accept the offered assistance or find themselves back on the streets.

Homeless people load their belongings onto one of the buses in Paris.

Many NGOs involved in the relocation plan, along with the Lyon and Bordeaux mayors' offices, have stated that migrants are often not adequately briefed about their destination before departure. As a result, these individuals arrive in cities such as Lyon and Bordeaux with expectations of permanent housing, only to find out that nothing is assured beyond the initial three weeks in the local SAS.

Abdullatif, Obsa, and the others who chose not to relocate, were escorted onto a "Paris" bus without knowing their exact destination.

CNN reached out to Obsa a few days later for an update. He informed them that he and his wife were still homeless and currently staying with a friend in Paris on a temporary basis. He expressed frustration as the authorities had once again refused to provide them with emergency social housing.

"They told me there is no place for me here, not even in the Ile-de-France region. It is unbelievable… How does an entire region not have space for two people?"