This Wednesday, the prefect of the North issued an administrative closure order for the Emmaüs community of Halte Saint-Jean, in Saint-André, near Lille, due to risks linked to fire safety, we learned. with the prefecture. It is within this same community that many undocumented workers began a strike last July to obtain their regularization.
Troubles continue to pile up around the Emmaus community of Saint-André. Entangled for six months in a conflict which pits it against around twenty undocumented companions, the Halte Saint-Jean will be notified of an administrative closure order resulting in particular from the observation of “numerous non-conformities favoring the occurrence of a outbreak of fire.” According to the Northern prefecture, the Lille district commission for safety against fire risks had issued, at the end of October, an opinion unfavorable to the continuation of activity of the community, which accommodates around twenty people. Prefect and town hall passed the buck to see who would take action to put the association on notice to carry out the compliance work. Until the prefecture decides this Wednesday.
No access, no work. No work, no access
Consequently, as soon as the order has been notified to the association, it will be closed to the public until the compliance work is carried out and verified. It is also specified that “non-execution of this order” will cost the operator 500 euros per day. The problem is that Pierre Duponchel, the president of Halte Saint-Jean, finds himself facing an impasse: “The upgrading could be done quickly, there are only two or three things to do. Except that I do not have access to the premises, blocked by around twenty demonstrators,” he assures. In fact, since last July, a strike picket set up in front of the entrance to the community has prevented the community from functioning normally.
In the meantime, all the non-striking companions have been relocated, affirms Pierre Duponchel, only the demonstrators occupy the ground, outside during the day, inside at night. “On November 8, justice ruled in our favor to free access to the Halte Saint-Jean. Despite the bailiff’s findings proving the blockage, the authorities have always refused us the use of public force, claiming that this issue was eminently political,” continues the president. For their part, the undocumented companions deplored to the AFP: “we are victims to be protected, and they want to put us on the street, disperse us”.
The situation seems to be blocked. Due to lack of access to its premises, the association cannot carry out the work. The demonstrators, who are demanding exceptional regularization of their administrative situation, do not intend to lift the strike picket until they have won their case.