An unoccupied building in Paris taken over by undocumented migrants

Several dozen undocumented migrants and their supporters took over unoccupied premises in the 9th arrondissement of Paris on Monday to demand rights for all, on the initiative of the La Chapelle Debout collective, AFP noted.

Migrants and activists supporting undocumented migrants entered former empty offices on rue Saulnier, occupied the floors and unfurled a banner reading “No to racism! Equality” or “Migrants’ life matter” . Outside, about twenty Extinction Rebellion activists had come to support them.

Abouakar (assumed name), 36, from Mauritania, undocumented in France for three years, explained to AFP how “it’s hard” to be “in the street”, “without work” , in the “gets together”. “Support our fight!” he said.

“We hope it will open the door” to all

This place is intended to be “the embassy of immigrants”, explained Nestor (first name), member of the collective La Chapelle Debout. “The idea is that people on the street can have a roof over their heads and that they organize themselves” in order to obtain rights, he said, regretting the “lost” years in ” unsuccessful procedures”.

“As a collective that fights for papers and housing for all, we are very happy that the Ukrainians receive this. We even say + the proof by Ukraine! +. It is possible in two weeks to put a whole accommodation system, to give papers to everyone, to give free transport for everyone”, adds Nestor. “We hope it will open the door” to everyone, he said, recalling the case of Somalis, Eritreans, Ethiopians, “who fled conflicts” or “famines”.

A few members of the security forces, who came shortly after the arrival of the militants, observed the occupation from the street. In July 2019, several hundred undocumented migrants and their supporters had briefly occupied the Panthéon in Paris to demand their regularization, at the initiative in particular of this same collective.