Several hundred people demonstrated on Saturday in Paris, Lyon and Marseille against the immigration bill and against the administrative detention centers (CRA), denouncing “disposable immigration” and demanding the regularization of undocumented migrants, noted AFP journalists.
In Paris, the demonstrators, 1,200 according to the organizers, had met in front of the Immigration Museum, in the 12th arrondissement, to go to the Vincennes detention center, at the call of a collective “against disposable immigration” including Solidaires, Rights ahead, the League of Human Rights, the PCF or the New Anti-Capitalist Party. “No to the Darmanin law, against repression and confinement and expulsions, for a migratory policy of reception”, proclaimed the head banner.
“It’s a sorting of immigrants and a blackmail to accept a job”
The bill defended by the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin provides for several measures to facilitate expulsions – especially of “delinquent” foreigners -, a reform of the right to asylum and an integration component, in particular the regularization of undocumented workers. in sectors where employers are struggling to hire, such as restaurants.
“Regularizing only in so-called tension sectors is very problematic: it means regularizing where no one wants to go because the conditions are unworthy conditions”, estimated Cybèle David, member of the collective and Solidaires, for whom ” it is sorting out immigrants and blackmailing them into accepting a job”. For Odile Ghermani, from the Citizen Observatory of the Vincennes detention center, the bill will fuel “a deadly and catastrophic cycle, with ever more people who find themselves on the margins and illegality” due in particular to new restrictions on the right of asylum.
“Welcoming rather than repressing”
In Lyon, more than a hundred participants, including a handful of “yellow vests”, marched towards the prefecture, under the flags of LFI or even Unef. “Welcome rather than repress,” proclaimed a sign, while the demonstrators chanted: “What do we want? Papers ! For who ? For everyone ! “. In Marseille, they were between 150 and 200 and stopped for a long time in front of the CRA located in the 14th arrondissement (north) of the city and chanting “papers for all or no papers at all”, or “stone by stone, wall by wall, we will destroy the detention centers”.
Several people spoke, including Mohamed, a 33-year-old Guinean. “We are not criminals, we too have the right to freedom, without a detention centre. We want to work, pay taxes and taxes”. The young man, who did not wish to give his full name, told AFP that he left his country in 2016, lived in Marseille for four years and obtained papers “not long ago”. “I do not speak for myself but for all those who are victims of injustice,” he explained.