Refugees, migrants of Paris' 'Stalingrad' speak out

By Hajer M’tiri

PARIS (AA) – "Where can we stay in this cold? Where can we go to in this freezing weather? We are chased from place to place. Feel our pain. Feel our misery. We are human."

These were the words of Sultan, a 22-year-old refugee from Afghanistan who now lives in the makeshift Stalingrad camp in Paris.

The camp is home to an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 people and is repeatedly dismantled and raided by Paris police.

Amid tense scenes on Monday, riot police and sanitary workers -- backed by a bulldozer – cleared residents’ tents, mattresses and personal belongings.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said the camp will be completely removed by the end of this week.

A farmer who paid thousands of dollars for the dangerous and illegal journey across Europe since he escaped the Taliban two years ago, Sultan told Anadolu Agency: “They never help us. They just come every time take our tents and just leave us out in the cold.

“All we want from the French authorities is to take us as soon as possible to warm places where we can eat warm food and take showers. We are freezing here.”

The area around both Stalingrad and Jean Jaures metro stations on the edge of the crowded 18th and 19th districts of Paris is frequently the site of makeshift camps.

Since June 2015, there have been at least nine evacuations from the area according to Paris police prefecture figures.

“This is my last chance to have a normal life. I sold everything back home and left my family just so I can secure a future. I want to study. I want to live,” Sultan continued.

Mohammed Ali, a 19-year-old Afghan who survived a Taliban attack and fled the country in 2014, echoed Sultan’s wishes.

“I applied for asylum and am waiting. I speak nine languages and all I want is to go to university and major in economics or computer science.”

Not far away, we met Yasamine Ijanzada -- also from Afghanistan -- as she was sitting on a chair cuddling a three-year-old boy, Adia, her grandson.

The 50-year-old former midwife arrived in Paris on Sept. 24 accompanied with her family: three daughters (two university graduates, married, and one a second-year dental medicine student), two sons and a grandson. Two other sons stayed behind with their families.

-‘We choose to live’-

“My husband was a state employee. The Taliban killed him two years ago. Since then we kept receiving threats,” she explained.

“The situation is really bad back home: just war and a collapsed economy. Why stay? To die? We choose to live.

“I love fashion, makeup. France is the right place to be,” she said giggling. However, in a more serious tone she added: “The quality of life is better here. We’ve been everywhere and now we just want to settle here and live.”

The midwife complained about living conditions in the camps, especially in the cold weather.

“The French authorities need to understand that we are human beings and not just numbers. We run away from death not for luxury,” she said, adding: “They need to have pity on us, at least for the kids and give us documents and housing so we can start our life here and be part of this country.”

French president Francois Hollande vowed on Saturday to clear all Paris migrant camps following the closure of the so-called ‘Jungle’ Calais camp -- home to up to 7,000 people -- last week.

According to Paris city hall, the number of migrants and refugees on the capital’s streets surged by about a third since the Calais camp was cleared.

"That can't last. We will do the same operation as in Calais and take them to centers," Hollande said.

Down the Avenue de Flandre, where the camp runs for a kilometer [0.6 miles] long on the sidewalks, we run into a group of Chadian refugees, mostly aged between 14 and 25.

Although the group of youths refused to speak on camera, they said their motives for leaving the African country and making the “odyssey” all the way to France were deep tribal conflicts, political issues and poverty.

-'An ordinary life'-

As you walk further, you reach the biggest and most crowded part of the camp. Here most of the residents are from Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya and other African countries.

Hashi, a 54-year-old Somali, arrived in Europe three years ago and in France less than two months ago.

The former truck driver told Anadolu Agency he left because of terrorism and civil war: “Do you think it is easy to walk away from your own country and family? I didn’t hear any news from my wife and six kids since a year and a half. I think they are dead.”

“I’m tired. I just want a house, a job, to be productive, pay my taxes and that’s it. An ordinary life.”

Wael, a 36-year-old Libyan barber, said he was left with no other choice but to risk his life and “ride the sea”. He arrived in Paris three months ago but, unusually, had previously lived in Europe for years.

“I lived in the Netherlands for 16 years. Had a decent job, house, legal documents. Lost it all when I went back to Libya on 2013 when my father died.”

“I couldn’t leave the country when the war broke out. I got stuck there.”

Sitting next to him is Jamel, 30, a former employee at a Libyan ministry who said he ran away after receiving death threats from Daesh.

“I’m not here because of economic reasons. I’m from a well-established family. I left my cars, house and family business behind. I’m here simply to survive.”

-'Inhuman treatment'-

Fatih Mohammed Abdullah al-Kasim, a 29-year-old Sudanese from Darfur said he had applied for asylum and would give his fingerprints on Nov. 7. He left because of political dictatorship and social injustice.

“The Sudanese regime is making things worse in the country. Racism and corruption are rising and the few people who received a good education are targeted once they voice their opposition.”

He said he is disappointed of the “misery” he has seen since he arrived to Europe and in particular what he called the “inhumane treatment” by the French authorities.

“It does not respect my asylum or refugee status. The EU is not respecting the UN Charter. As you can see, this is a place that does not provide basic human needs: sleeping in the cold next to dirt and garbage. No bathrooms or showers.”

“I see an almost impossible future here. The EU is treating refugees and migrants badly and inhumanely. Unless you hold on to your dreams and work hard you won’t be able to make it here. It is hard.”

Fatih said he was unemployed since he finished his civil engineering studies in 2011 and he wants to pursue higher education here in France.

“My life and time here are temporary. Once I and other youths secure a better education we will go back to Sudan. Our country needs us to make a radical change,” he said, adding:

“Meanwhile, EU countries and the French authorities in particular need to understand that we are human, we deserve respect and we have the right to live.”