Paris Olympics displaced nearly 20,000 people: Local associations

NEW DELHI: Approximately 20,000 individuals were displaced from temporary settlements or shelters in the Paris area before the Olympics, according to a report released on Monday by a coalition comprising over 100 community organisations.
"Le Revers de la Médaille" (translated as "the other side of the medal") documented 19,526 people removed from informal dwellings between April 2023 and September 2024, describing it as authorities' "social cleansing". The report acknowledges potential duplicate counting of individuals who faced multiple evictions.
The preparation for accommodating millions of Olympic spectators involved substantial infrastructure improvements, which allegedly included removing migrants and squatters from areas near event locations.
Paul Alauzy, representing "Le Revers de la Médaille", stated there was concrete evidence connecting these removals to Olympic preparations.
"There are images, internal government documents, and eviction orders explicitly referencing the Olympics as justification," Alauzy said on Monday.
The organisation's findings revealed 260 eviction operations from April 2023 to September 2024, showing a 41% increase compared to 2021-2022. Additionally, the displaced population included more than 4,500 children.
French authorities have not yet commented on these figures. The city implemented stringent security protocols for the Games, particularly for the Seine River opening ceremony, requiring verification procedures and QR codes for attendance.
In August, Île-de-France regional prefect Marc Guillaume stated during a radio broadcast that Olympic-related evictions had not increased, asserting that alternative accommodation was offered to all displaced persons.
French President Emmanuel Macron discussed this matter in August, highlighting France's Olympic-related social achievements.
"I'm not forgetting that we have succeeded in creating a social legacy for the Olympic Games, with more than 200 marginalised people who used to live on the streets around the venues now having a permanent home," Macron said at a conference on August 12, the day following the Olympics closing ceremony.
The coalition's report suggests establishing a permanent Olympic venue and implementing sustainable practices to prevent future displacement issues.