2023-07-06 02:11:12
Cold shower for the Ministry of the Interior and the municipality of Ouistreham. Last June, the municipality of Calvados and the ministry had launched a request challenging the need for the installation of latrines and water points in a migrant camp in the department. The latter considered that the presence of public toilets nearly one kilometer from the camp was sufficient to meet water needs.
In an order dated last Monday and made public overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, the Council of State rejected this request, forcing Ouistreham to facilitate access to water for migrants. “Contrary to what the municipality and the minister maintain, the presence of public toilets, located nearly one kilometer from the camp (…) cannot be considered sufficient to meet their basic needs in terms of drinking water supply. and hygiene” explained the judge in chambers.
The Council deplores an attack on a fundamental freedom
For the Palais-Royal, the current lack of water points and nearby toilets exposed exiles “to inhuman and degrading treatment, causing a serious and manifestly illegal attack on a fundamental freedom”. According to the Council, the absence of a water access device forces many migrants to resort “to alternative solutions presenting risks to their health and physical safety, such as the use of water from the canal adjoining the camp.
Since 2018, five associations have been mobilizing to demand that the Calvados town hall create water points for these migrants who, for the most part, cross the Channel to reach the United Kingdom.
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