Paris City Hall plaza attracts vacation guests and migrant households looking for shelter as Olympics nears

PARIS (AP) — The forecourt of Paris City Hall buzzes with exercise this vacation season: Children spinning on a glowing carousel, customers looking a Christmas market, vacationers posing in entrance of big indicators promoting the 2024 Olympics — and dozens of migrant households trying to find a roof over their heads.

About 50 households with kids between three months and 10 years outdated gathered on City Hall plaza on Christmas night, to fulfill members of support teams who distribute meals, blankets and diapers and assist discover short-term lodging. An identical scene performs out most nights beneath the ornate facade of the Paris monument.

Some sat on items of cardboard with their suitcases. A toddler who arrived in socks was given footwear, and an older baby was given a present in shiny wrapping.

Many of the households are from French-speaking African international locations, together with Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Senegal.

Aicha, 20, is amongst these looking for shelter. She arrived in Paris from Mali in 2020 and gave delivery to a child boy, Ismael, final 12 months.

“We sleep here outside or in the metro, but it’s not safe because there are thugs. It’s complicated, we have to negotiate, we have no solution. But it’s not just me, there are lots of families who sleep outside,” she informed The Associated Press. She spoke on situation her full title not be printed as a result of she doesn’t have residency papers.

Zoe Lafargoutte, a member of migrant support group Utopia 56, mentioned they discover area for about 20-40% of these in want each night.

‘’We attempt to distribute tents and blankets in order that they will sleep, even when it’s not ultimate, or we direct them to hospitals, to locations the place they will spend the night time in a bit of heat,’’ she mentioned.

Aid staff are involved that Paris authorities will filter migrants and others sleeping within the tough earlier than subsequent 12 months’s Olympics with out offering longer-term housing choices. Olympics organizers say they’re working with support teams to search out options for these within the streets, together with the many individuals who come from around the globe to Paris looking for refuge or employment.

Utopia 56 member Perine Rident says the Olympic Games can even draw consideration to the broader downside.

“If you want to take the silver lining, is at least people are talking about it,” Rident mentioned.

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Angela Charlton contributed to this report.