FRANCE: Illegal Muslim immigrants struggle to find a roof and are on hunger strike in Paris to put pressure on French authorities to get legal status

Illegal immigrants of North African origin are on hunger strike in tents along the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris to make their living conditions visible to the French public and pressure government authorities to grant them legal status. Rows of red tents along the Canal Saint-Martin in the trendy 10th district of Paris that were set up by French lobby group 'Children of Don Quixote' last December to draw attention to people sleeping in the rough can now count among their inhabitants forty illegal immigrants who are on hunger strike. "I am on hunger strike because our living conditions are very difficult. We have problems to deal with everyday. I cannot go for a walk. I cannot work. I don't have housing. This is why I have stopped eating," illegal immigrant Khalifa told Reuters Television. Khalifa came to France 11 years ago, and has twice been denied a residence permit. "(To stop my hunger strike) I want the French authorities to take account of our case and to not leave us alone as they do," he added. "If we don't have papers we are like slaves. For example, I work but sometimes I am not paid. I have been unable to find another solution aside from this hunger strike. And we are not just doing this for ourselves, we are doing this for all those in our situation. We want people to become aware of what we are living and our difficulties. We must put an end to modern day slavery," said Bachir, another illegal immigrant on hunger strike. With temperatures falling and France's 2007 presidential election moving closer, the plight of the homeless has dominated front pages and politicians from all the main parties have promised more help for those without a roof over their heads. Aid groups say more than 3 million people have serious housing problems -- living on the street, in shabby hotels, caravans or in flats without bathrooms or heating. 'Children of Don Quixote' has asked the government to provide more housing and open 24-hour shelters throughout the year. But representatives of the organisation have also been angered by the intiative of the hunger strikers, who are trying to put pressure on French authorities to grant them legal status. Illegal immigrants in France say that the law is forcing them further into poverty, making it harder to gain legal status in a country where thousands without the proper papers struggle to find a roof or a job. "If we don't have papers we are like slaves. For example, I work but sometimes I am not paid. I have been unable to find another solution aside from this hunger strike. And we are not just doing this for ourselves, we are doing this for all those in our situation. We want people to become aware of what we are living and our difficulties. We must put an end to modern day slavery." Bashir, 33, who came to France from Algeria 7 years ago is still illegal. He stressed that without papers people like him were treated like slaves "The spokesman for 'The Children of Don Quixote', Augustin Le Grand, was very angry with us and wanted to break our tent and take down our signs. He asked us to leave. He told us that they don't want us here, that they are a different kind of movement and that they have nothing to do with illegal immigrants. He said we should not be there. Fortunately for us however a movement sprung up to help us and that, mixed with the determination of the hunger strikers to see this thing through to the end and who refused to give in to threats and intimidation, allowed us to resist," said Mansour Ali, a former illegal immigrant of Tunisian origin and President of the Association for Solidarity with Illegal Immigrants. ++ Ali pointed out that foreigners, especially North Africans or Africans are discriminated and stressed that the legal right to housing will not apply to illegal immigrants or legal foreigners in France for less than ten years. "Of course foreigners are always discriminated against and cheating out of their rights, especially when you see the proposals made by Nicolas Sarkozy who talks about a legal right to housing but says it would not apply to illegal immigrants or to legal foreigners who have been here for less than ten years. For me this is a racial issue and if the law is adopted as it is, it will be a racist and discriminatory law", he said. The French conservative government said recently that having a decent home should be a legal right like health care and education. The plight of the homeless has become a campaign issue ahead of this year's presidential election. The issue has dominated the news and forced politicians from all main parties to promise more help for those without a roof over their heads. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said during a press conference that implement the legal right to housing will be possible from the end of 2008 for people in the most difficult situations, that is to say the homeless but also poor workers and isolated women with children. A draft law, which would enable those without decent housing to seek legal redress, should be passed by parliament before the end of February. About 86,000 people are homeless in France, according to official figures from 2001. Interior Minister but also the conservative presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy, has vowed that no homeless person would have to sleep outside within two years of his taking office. Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal has called for a "vast plan to fight against economic insecurity". She promised to create 120,000 new homes for the poor and pledged a surcharge on houses left unoccupied for two years or more if she wins. French newspapers announced on Friday (February 9) that four illegal immigrants of Algerian origin who were on hunger strike since the beginning of January along the Canal Saint Martin were taken to hospital.

ITN Source | February 11, 2007

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