Travellers Law not Enforced in France

10 July 2002

According to an April 12, 2002 report in the French national daily newspaper Le Monde, as of the January 5, 2002 deadline, only six out of 1739 districts had implemented measures under Besson's Law, enacted in 2000, which established the obligations of France's districts with respect to Travellers. In France, Roma are commonly referred to as Travellers. Under Besson's Law, French districts with a population of five thousand people or more are required to equip sites for Travellers with a minimum of one toilet and two showers per every five caravans, to assess the needs of travellers in the areas of education, and social and economic assistance and implement programs as necessary, as well as to provide access to housing to Travellers wishing to stay in one area. The objectives of Besson's Law are reportedly to provide decent facilities and free movement for Travellers, as well as deterring the establishment of illegal settlements. According to Le Monde, the French government reportedly provides 70 percent of the funding for such measures under the condition that sites for Travellers are equipped with a minimum of one toilet and two showers for every five caravans. Le Monde reported that one quarter of the 1739 districts had equipped at least some of their sites, but that 10,000 campsites for Travellers did not meet French safety standards.

(Le Monde)