The question remains the same: what to do with these nomads that nobody wants?
It is true that this population is far from being the ideal neighbor. Moreover, the nomads do not vote, unlike the citizens who complain—often not without reason—about their presence.
Once again, between the principles of the law—which advocate the freedom of these people to live as they wish in full liberty—and reality, there is the gap that everyone, in the absence of solutions, tries not to see.
The Mayor of Nice issued a statement on this matter:
“Every day, I receive dozens of complaints from residents who are dismayed by the situations that are taking root near their homes: squatting, illegal setups of motorhomes, and camps that create illegal waste deposits, filth, unlawful occupations… These situations create nuisances and serious issues in terms of public sanitation and hygiene which persist. Despite the daily actions of the municipal police, it must be acknowledged that my powers are limited to act on these situations.
I remind that the residence on French territory of a person, even a European citizen, requires having sufficient financial resources so as not to become an unreasonable burden on our social protection system. Yet, the living conditions, the commission of delinquent acts of theft, are all elements that demonstrate this lack of resources.
This is why I requested at the beginning of the week a meeting with the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes and the Public Prosecutor to organize a meeting and establish an action plan for this territory.
And it is in this context that this morning, the municipal police intervened with a family living in the back of a van with 9 people, including 7 children aged from 9 months to 12 years! And despite the presence of filth and a gas bottle, abandonment was not acknowledged. These situations are humanly intolerable, and I will not accept them in Nice. We must act without delay.”
