France: Joxe law - more deportation orders
01 January 1991
France: Joxe law - more deportation orders
artdoc April=1993
Joxe law leads to more deportation orders
There has been a spectacular increase in deportation orders under
the 1989 Joxe law, which succeeded the 1986 Pasqua laws. In 1989,
9,647 people were issued with deportation orders, but by 1991 the
figure had leapt to 32,673 - and the figures for the first
quarter of 1992 maintain this increase. Not all those named have
been deported, as they cannot be found (Le Monde 14.1.93).
Conditions in `detention zones' criticised
The National Association for the Assistance of Foreigners at
Frontiers (ANAFE) has issued a report criticising the conditions
in which refugees and immigrants prisoners are kept in `detention
zones'. In July 1992, the government passed the `Quiles law',
whereby ports and airports were authorised to set up `detention
zones'.
ANAFE identifies several areas of concern. First, refugees and
immigration prisoners kept in the zone are being denied access
to lawyers and information about their rights. The judicial
process itself is described as a `farce'. Some refugees have been
deported without being given the right of appeal, or even before
they have seen a magistrate. For instance, a Tamil was deported
to Colombo via Amsterdam the same day that he was due to appear
before a magistrate. A man from the Cameroons, who had been
imprisoned in his country for political activities, was sent back
to Douala only days after he arrived. He has now disappeared.
Another area of concern is the conditions in the zones. As the
doors of rooms and bathrooms have been removed (to prevent people
shutting themselves in when they are due to be deported) there
is absolutely no privacy. For instance, it is impossible to
shower in private.
The violent methods whereby people are deported are also
criticised. When the Quiles law was first debated in parliament,
the government promised that the High Commissioner for Refugees
would have access to the zones. This has not happened
(L'Humanities 17.2.93, Le Monde 18.2.93).
Refugees immigration EC Europe
IRR European Race Audit no 3, 1993.
Contact: Liz Fekete, Institute of Race Relations,
2-6 Leeke Street, London WC1X 9HS. Tel: ++ 071 837 0041