Sheltering of more than 500 migrants

On Thursday 3 June, in the morning, 546 migrants present in the Villemin garden in Paris were evacuated and taken to safety. 

Since Sunday 30 May, migrants have occupied this garden in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. Following a demonstration at Place de la République, several hundred migrants had been taken care of. Others were left without access to emergency accommodation. At the instigation of associations, they went to the Villemin garden, where they stayed until 3 June.

On Thursday morning, the evacuation of the 546 people, including 16 vulnerable people (families, women and children), went smoothly. The associations Solidarité Migrants Wilson and Utopia 56, which have organised several occupations in Paris, declared themselves satisfied with the operation. During this event were present OFII officers who had volunteered.

The migrants were taken to the Paris Event Center, Porte de la Villette, where, according to the Île-de-France prefecture, they “will very soon benefit from social, health and administrative support in order to be directed towards accommodation adapted to their situation“.

This support will be provided by the OFII. Its Director General, Didier Leschi, declared on this subject that while foreigners in an irregular situation would not be taken in charge, asylum seekers would, for their part, be directed towards accommodation in the regions.