In France, more than 2,000 children live on the street. However, the State is responsible for ensuring any self-boring and vulnerable emergency accommodation. In Paris, a lawyer spent his weeks defending families with families with children on the street. Among the most common cases of Maître Samy Djemaoun are asylum seeking families. During the procedure, the OFII, the French Office for Immigration and Integration, is however supposed to provide them with a daily allowance and accommodation. But do these families still have to know their rights?
In a small, poorly enlightened courtroom, Samy Djemaoun gives his latest advice to his customers. The parents of little Kadija come from the north of Côte d’Ivoire.
“” I asked for asylum with the child, because I was excised. I don’t want my daughter to live the same pain I have suffered ». By exchanging with a friend, they discover that they have the right to stay: ” She said to me: No, you have the right since you have a sick child, and she has a very serious pathology, sickle cell ».
A lawyer who earns almost eight times out of ten
This friend therefore advises them to call Master Djemaoun. Ten days later, they meet in court. In less than three years, Samy Djemaoun, their lawyer, has seized justly 80 times justice to force the OFII, the French Office for Immigration and Integration, to house families on the street. The lawyer has won almost 70 times. As often, the administration sent a defense thesis in the court. A text explaining its position: ” You have a medical certificate which indicates that the child’s vital prognosis can be engaged at any time and that it needs a healthy and stable place. And the OFII responds, it has medical treatment and follow -up, so it’s good. While recognizing in the defense memory that she is one of the most priority families. A priority family is a family with children. Point. We are not going to start making a hierarchy of distress ».
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The audience will only have lasted half an hour. Chance of the calendar, this same day, the lawyer learns that little Kadija obtains the status of refugee. A relief for his parents, but also a lot of bitterness. “” We have lost so much time in this course where everything is based on the resourceful. These are the associations that help us. If accommodation is found, so much the better, otherwise, we wait ».
Three days after the conviction of the OFII, the family obtains the keys to a accommodation. Impossible to know how many others are on the street, for lack of information on their rights. For the lawyer, the administration is counting on it. “” Out of 100 people, I would say that Maître Djemaoun will seize for 20, because there will only be 20 who will have had access to associations, to a whole bunch of legal aid systems. What if the OFII is condemned for these 20 files? It’s not that bad ».
The OFII, contacted by phone, says that the couple had pointed out to be precariously accommodated with a friend, which is why no proposal was made to him. Its director, Didier Leschi, assures that a report on the part of the family would have been enough for their accommodation.
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