Every night, in the centre of Paris next to Gare de l’Est in the trendy 10th Arrondissement, around 200 Afghan asylum seekers, mainly very young men, sleep on the streets.
The number of asylum seekers in Paris has increased after September 2009 when France dismantled the biggest illegal camp known as “the jungle” on the outskirts of Calais F that provided space for several hundreds of Afghan refugees. Allegedly, the camp was used as a base for the flow of immigrants crossing the English Channel into the UK.
Aid organisations in Paris have noticed that increasing numbers of unaccompanied minor boys are arriving from Afghanistan. “The state does not assume any responsibility for the boys. According to French legislation, minors should be provided with education, food, and health care”, says an active member of the neighbourhood organisation. By neglecting these conditions the state wants to encourage the Afghans to leave France, to continue their “journey”.