This ordinance had been requested by Eric Ciotti, president of the General Council and advocate for a hardline stance against Roma immigration. Moreover, he seized this opportunity to criticize national policy: “I therefore once again denounce the passivity and laxity of the Government, which only serve to worsen a situation that has become intolerable.”
“After having bailiffs ascertain in mid-October that illegal encampments had once again been set up in the communes of Nice and Saint-Laurent-du-Var, on the banks of the Var river, I then appealed to the Administrative Court of Nice, so that these occupations could be dismantled for security reasons but above all for the respect of the laws of the Republic,” he reacted.
He added: “The court has today fully satisfied me, as it did on May 7 when we found ourselves in a similar situation. Beyond the urgency of the situation, the emergency judge notably pointed out that the presence of these encampments posed serious risks in terms of hygiene, health, safety for their occupants but also for nearby populations and the environment, and he therefore ordered the occupants, without right or title, to leave the concerned areas before November 22, 2013.”
And now, what will happen next?
Eric Ciotti’s response is decisive: “Once again, if the populations ordered to leave the premises refuse, I will ask the Government for the assistance of public force. It is also regrettable that, since the evacuation last May, the situation at the departmental level has not improved. The cycle of illegal settlements and emergency requests, at the local level, illustrates this.”
