France: Asylum and immigration (1)
01 January 1991
France: Asylum and immigration
artdoc April=1995
Algerian starts hunger strike
A 32-year-old Algerian, who has contested a deportation order
against him for seven years, has started a hunger strike.
Nasser Djabbeur, father of a French child, arrived in France
from Algeria at the age of 2 and grew up in Rouen. In 1987, he
was hastily deported from France on what he claims to be dubious
grounds (he says it was a case of mistaken identity). He then re-
entered the country illegally. At the time of writing, Djabbeur,
who is supported by the anti-racist organisations MRAP and SOS
Racism, had been on hunger strike for forty days (Libération
12.9.94).
Kurdish leader detained
A leader of the `Revolutionary Left' (Devrimici Sol) of Turkey
has been arrested by French police while travelling from Italy
into France. Dursun Karatus escaped from a Turkish prison in 1989
after being imprisoned in the military coup of 1980 (leaflet of
Halk-Der Community Centre).
How French Immigration rules effect black British
A spokesman for the French consulate in London has acknowledged
that black people have been turned away from France because
British Visitors Passports do not meet French immigration
requirements.
When Albert McKoy, a British citizen since the 1950s, attempted
to visit France with his family, he was advised by the crew on
the Hoverspeed ferry to turn back. As 76-year-old Mr. McKoy's
full British passport had expired, he was in possession of a
visitor's passport. Hoverspeed informed him that as he was
Jamaican-born his visitor's passport would not be accepted by
French immigration officials and that under the carrier liability
act Hoverspeed would face a hefty fine for carrying a passenger
whose documentation does not satisfy a country's immigration
regulations (Voice 2.8.94).
English student sacked for wearing headscarf
An English student of modern languages at Bradford University,
on a six-month placement in Paris, was sacked from her job
(teaching French businessmen English) for wearing a religious
headscarf to work. The company she worked for, Alcatel CIT,
justified its actions on the grounds that she was `manifesting
her religion which was against company rules'. They also say that
Leila did not wear a hijab when she first came to work for them.
Leila, who was fired just six weeks before she was due to finish
her placement, is to take legal action with the backing of the
French trade union CGT. `I was shocked by their reaction' said
Leila `I was told by one secretary that wearing my hijab was a
sign of aggression' (Eastern Eye 9.8.94).
IRR European Race Audit, Bulletin no 11, December 1994. Contact:
Liz Fekete, Institute of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke Street, London
WC1X 9HS. Tel: 0171 837 0041