PARIS — According to a coalition of over 100 community organizations, almost 20,000 individuals have been forcibly removed from their tent encampments or shelters in the Paris region as preparations for the upcoming Paris Olympics intensify. In their report, the group known as Le Revers de la Médaille, which translates to “the other side of the medal,” highlighted that between April 2023 and September 2024, a total of 19,526 people were displaced from informal housing. They refer to this situation as “social cleansing” carried out by officials. Furthermore, some individuals faced multiple evictions, leading to them being counted more than once in this statistic.
As the city readies itself to welcome millions of visitors for the Games, significant renovations have been taking place to upgrade facilities and infrastructure. The report claims that this process has included the eviction of migrants and squatters from prominent locations close to the event venues.
Paul Alauzy, a spokesperson for Le Revers de la Médaille, asserted that there is concrete proof linking these forced removals to the preparations for the Olympics. “There are photographs, internal government files, and eviction notices that explicitly use the Olympics as a reason,” Alauzy stated. The coalition’s findings reveal an increase in eviction operations, with 260 reported between April 2023 and September 2024, representing a 41% rise compared to the same timeframe in 2021-2022. Alarmingly, over 4,500 minors were included in the number of displaced individuals.
French officials have not yet provided a response to the coalition’s estimates. Specifically for the Olympics, the city has implemented stringent security measures, including an unprecedented opening ceremony along the Seine River, which required attendees to undergo a thorough verification process and present a QR code for entry.
In August, Marc Guillaume, the prefect of the Île-de-France region that encompasses Paris, denied any increase in eviction rates due to the Olympics during a radio interview, claiming that every displaced person was offered alternative housing. Additionally, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the issue later that month, asserting that France had effectively built a social legacy associated with the Olympics.
“I’m not overlooking the fact that we have succeeded in establishing a social legacy for the Olympic Games, with over 200 marginalized individuals who once lived on the streets near the venues now having a permanent residence,” Macron mentioned in a conference on August 12, following the closing ceremony of the Olympics. In response to the ongoing situation, the coalition is now advocating for a reassessment of the model used for hosting the Olympics, suggesting the establishment of a permanent venue for future events and recommending more sustainable approaches to reduce the risk of displacements.