On August 29, law enforcement cleared an "illegal camp" of young migrants located in downtown Marseille. The camp of approximately 40 people, all declaring themselves unaccompanied minors (UM), had been there since July 4 at Léon Blum Square, in the Réformés neighborhood (1st Arrondissement).

These young people were requesting housing while waiting for a response from the juvenile court appeals judge over their minority status. Their minority status had been rejected during an initial assessment by the regional authorities responsible for the care of unaccompanied minors.

After approximately two months of occupation, the "49 illegally settled individuals" were notified by a prefectural decree dated August 27th of their evacuation, effective two days later. This operation "took place calmly and without incident," the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture said. Authorities claimed the clearance was necessary due to the camp’s "public order disturbances" and "the living conditions of the occupants of this camp, which violated health and safety principles."

The administration also reported that after "a thorough and individualized social assessment," 12 vulnerable people were offered emergency accommodation in a hotel. "Nine others left of their own free will," the prefecture's press release added.

Read Also'Half of them are children': Migrant families without housing appeal for shelter outside Paris City Hall

People in danger

However, "after an individual assessment," 28 of these young migrants were confirmed to have reached the age of majority and were "subjected to a clearance order." Therefore, the majority of them find themselves "without a solution, in a situation of great vulnerability," according to associations advocating for unaccompanied minors.

On July 1, a group had already written to the prefect of the department and region to demand "an end to the endangerment of these isolated teenagers" and to prioritize support over police operations, which were deemed brutal and ineffective.

"Clearing without offering an alternative means putting unaccompanied minors on the streets, in contradiction with the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and the principle of presumption of minority," several associations wrote in a press release, outraged by the prefecture's action. Legally, the department is indeed bound to take care of unaccompanied minors.

But like other departments in France, the Bouches-du-Rhône department declares itself overwhelmed by requests. There is now only one juvenile judge, compared to around ten previously, responsible for ruling on minority appeals, which considerably increases processing times (sometimes by up to a year).

Approximately 300 unaccompanied foreign youth are reportedly waiting for their status as minors to be recognized in Marseille. "And while they should benefit from state care, in accordance with the principle of presumption of minority enshrined in law, they find themselves abandoned by public authorities," Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported.

Without protection and forced to live in squats or dilapidated hotels, they lack access to education or healthcare, a situation of exclusion that worsens their mental and physical health. Vulnerable, they are also more likely to be victims of exploitation. Yet, according to the associations, 75 percent of young people who file an appeal ultimately win their case and have their status as unaccompanied minors recognized.

Standoff between the city and state authorities

Marseille’s Deputy Mayor for Social Affairs, Audrey Garino, denounced "a unilateral decision by the prefecture" and condemned "the use of law enforcement against these young people seeking accommodation."

"Despite a decrease in the number of unaccompanied minors arriving in Marseille, we deplore the fact that for several months, the use of force and the lack of dialogue have been favored," she said in a statement. She criticized this evacuation, which "does not solve the problem" but, on the contrary, "only shifts it."

"Since 2020, our position and commitments have been clear and known to all: no evacuation without unconditional shelter for the occupants," Audrey Garino said. She criticized the "deliberate failure of the regional authorities." "The City and the State have always worked together to avoid evacuations without care and to try to find accommodation solutions," she wrote.

The opposition between the city and the state authorities over the unaccompanied minors issue is not new, and the tension on the subject is recurrent. On July 15, the regional authority president, Martine Vassal, declared during a council meeting that she no longer wanted to see "underage adults," accusing them of "using the system." The elected official is known for her anti-migrant positions. More than a lack of resources, the associations unanimously denounce a lack of political will and the abandonment of these young people by public authorities.