Tuesday, October 9, 2007

The crackdown

The French government aims to deport 25,000 illegal immigrants by the end of the year. But the police snatch squads aren't having it all their own way. A new 'resistance' has sprung up, inspired by memories of wartime deportations and shame at the way France treats its ethnic minorities. Angelique Chrisafis reports

Wednesday October 3, 2007


A Muslim girl has two French flags and a headband which reads
A Muslim girl has two French flags and a headband which reads "fraternity" on her headscarf during a protest defending religious headgear in 2004. Photograph: Charles Platiau/Reuters


Like most illegal immigrants working in Paris's textile sweat shops, nail bars or restaurants, Chulan Liu kept her head down. A 51-year-old divorcee who left her only son in northern China this summer, she spoke no French. But she knew the name Nicolas Sarkozy and his order for police to round up thousands of France's "sans papiers" - immigrants with no papers and no right to stay.

To read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,,2182383,00.html