Paris preps for Olympics with mass evictions: Thousands of migrants removed

Paris Olympics 2024: As the Olympics return to Paris after a century, the city's preparations include evictions and regulations of the homeless, sparking talks about the true cost of hosting the Games

After a century-long wait, the Olympics are returned to Paris. But, many Parisians will not be present to witness the grand event. While some have left willingly due to stringent regulations, numerous others have been forcibly removed from the city, various French media outlets have reported.  

A report by the French collective Le Revers de la Médaille (The Other Side of the Medal), released last month, highlights the mass removal of thousands of homeless individuals and other vulnerable groups by Parisian authorities. The effort aims to ‘cleanse’ the city of those deemed ‘undesirable’ by the authorities.

The report, titled ‘1 year of social cleansing before the 2024 Olympic Games’, details the expulsion of over 12,000 people from Parisian streets since April 2023, according to a report by The Guardian. Accusations of ‘social cleansing’ have intensified following reports of the eviction of hundreds of migrants from France's largest squat, Vitry-sur-Seine, located south of Paris.

 

Migrants evicted from Paris en masse

On April 16 this year, just a day after the ceremonial lighting of the Paris 2024 Olympic flame in Greece, French authorities began evicting hundreds of migrants from the Vitry-sur-Seine squat. Those evicted were transported to other parts of the country, according to a Reuters report. This was the third major eviction operation in the Île-de-France region in 2023. 

Earlier that month, about 400 people were removed from a squat near the Olympic Village on Île-Saint-Denis, and another 200 were evicted from a squat in Thiais in July.

In these eviction drives, migrants were reportedly placed on buses and relocated to other parts of France. According to French news organisation France24, the recent eviction drive was the third such operation in the Île-de-France region, which includes Paris and its surrounding areas, since early 2023. 

Meanwhile, Le Revers de la Médaille report stated that around 7,000 homes are needed in the Île-de-France area to address homelessness long-term. However, local authorities have only planned for 1,000 urgent housing solutions, which have been delayed by bureaucratic hurdles.

French govt’s push for locals’ relocation

The forced evictions are not the only reason Parisians are leaving. French Transport Minister Clément Beaune encouraged residents to work remotely or take time off during the Games to reduce the strain on Paris’ public transport system, reported France24. This suggestion has been perceived as an attempt to make room for the influx of visitors during the Olympics.

A poll conducted by independent research institute Odoxa in 2023 revealed that 44 per cent of Paris region residents held a negative view of the Olympics and Paralympics, a significant increase from 21 per cent in 2021. Many locals see the Games as a major inconvenience and a financial burden, benefiting primarily large multinational stakeholders rather than French citizens.

In response, many Parisians are planning to work remotely or temporarily relocate to other parts of France. However, not everyone has the means to do so. A 57-year-old consulting director from Paris expressed a lack of enthusiasm for the Games, stating in an April interview with Reuters, “Am I excited about the Games? No, sorry, I know it’s not the right response but I’m not excited at all.”

France’s Olympics eviction criticised

These eviction operations have drawn significant attention from organisations assisting vulnerable populations. Paul Alauzy, a coordinator for health monitoring at Médecins du Monde, criticised the authorities for “hiding the misery under a rug” to present Paris in a favourable light for the Games, reported the French news outlet. 

He noted that people are being bussed out of the city for the duration of the Olympics, but “if this really was a dignified solution to the problem, people would be fighting to get on the buses. They’re not. We are in the process of making life impossible for these people and those who support them.”

India’s bid for Olympics

During the inauguration of the 141st International Olympic Committee session at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai last year, PM Modi announced that India will bid to host the 2036 Olympics. The move has since then been questioned by various experts citing the hefty price tag that comes along hosting the prestigious event. Numerous cities worldwide have struggled to recoup their investments. In some cases, the economic benefits have fallen far short of expectations.

In an earlier interview with Business Standard, American economist Andrew Zimbalist, who has written several books about the economy of Olympics, said that hosting the Olympics is generally a “bad idea”. There is a lot of land required to host the Olympics for the construction of the Olympic village, the media village et al. And with urban real estate growing scarce, it is the poor people who are evicted from their lands to support the Olympic infrastructures.