Correction: The camp in Paris in front of the Samu Social center referred to in this video, which was broadcast earlier this month by DW, was dismantled by authorities in mid-August. According to InfoMigrants, around a third of the people living in this particular camp agreed to move into temporary accomodation in other French regions.
Before the camp at the Samu Social headquarters was dismantled, some 450 unhoused people lived there. This inclusded families with children, pregnant women and people with serious health conditions. They described what it was like to sleep at the camp without adequate shelter, sanitation or security.
Aid groups warn that cuts to emergency accommodation have worsened conditions, while extreme heat, storms and illness put vulnerable residents at risk. Although Paris funds thousands of shelter beds, officials and charities say demand far exceeds capacity, fueling a growing dispute over the state’s responsibility to house people living on the streets.
