He denounces an “explosive situation”. The President of the Assembly of the Departments of France called on Thursday for government assistance to deal with the influx of unaccompanied minors (MNA) in the Alpes-Maritimes, which is creating the “embolism” of the structures of local accommodation. “About 2,000” of these young migrants have been welcomed there since the beginning of the year, out of the 5,000 taken care of throughout the territory, warned François Sauvadet.
During a meeting organized in the morning with the Ministers of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti and the Secretary of State in charge of Children Charlotte Caubel, he asked for “additional means”. “The State must take its responsibilities, financially and by offering an operational response”, he argued in particular, supporting the idea of the President of the Alpes-Maritimes Charles-Ange Ginésy to transfer to the State the care of “these young people during the evaluation period of [leur] minority”.
“A specific and temporary device”
“This responsibility can no longer be the sole responsibility of the department whose human, logistical and financial resources are diverted from the initial objective of child protection”, supports the LR boss of the Côte d’Azur community. His proposal, which “has caught the attention of the ministers”, should be proposed to Elisabeth Borne who could then “validate a specific and temporary device”, he underlines. “On yesterday alone, 48 alleged minors were taken care of. We are asking for an emergency solution to lighten the load on the department, ”also claimed MP Eric Ciotti, chairman of the community finance commission, quoted in a joint press release.
There would be urgency. In the Alpes-Maritimes, “we have exhausted all the reception capacities of the department. We no longer have a place available, we even resort to hotels, ”said François Sauvadet again. Several tourist establishments have indeed been requisitioned, notably in Biot, near Antibes. The prefect even issued an order on April 18 to allow the occupation of a gymnasium in Menton, on the Franco-Italian border. He specified that 1,202 unaccompanied minors had already arrived on the Côte d’Azur since the beginning of the year. Including 110 in a single week.