A French rights group has slammed Senator Jean Arthuis for “discrimination” after he banned local social services to take into care unaccompanied foreign children in his region.
Head of France Terre dâ„¢Asile (France Earth Asylum) Pierre Henry said Arthuis, who is council head of the Mayenne Department, was “acting outside the law,” according to a report published on Thursday by TheLocal.fr.
Arthius has decided to Å“put an end to accepting any new unaccompanied foreign child” in his department since he Å“no longer have the means to accommodate them.”
Henry responded to the measure by saying, Å“This decree against unaccompanied foreign children is indisputably discriminatory. It is illegal and needs to be annulled.”
He added, “It’s outrageous. The law obliges them to look after the needs of children who are in danger no matter what nationality they are.”
According to the report, the “unaccompanied foreign children,” as they are referred to officially in France, can have ended up so for a number of reasons, including being left by their parents or being victims of trafficking.
There is an estimated 6,000 unaccompanied foreign children in France, most of them coming from India, Pakistan or Mali.
Furthermore, Henry criticized the French government for its treatment of foreigners and minority groups.
“There’s been some scandalous things said this summer about the Roma, the travelers and now itâ„¢s the turn of the foreign children,” said Henry.
France has recently come under fire as reports show an increase of racist violence and Islamophobia in the country.
In a report published in March, Franceâ„¢s National Consultative Commission on Human Rights even accused French politicians for contributing to the legitimization of racist language.
CAH/SS
Republished from: Press TV