• Human Rights in France

    France is targeting Eastern European Roma for expulsion, despite a critical court ruling.  After a June 2011 immigration law improved safeguards for the expulsions but widened the circumstances in which they can be carried out, the European Commission dropped its complaint against France.  The June law also weakens the rights of migrants and asylum seekers, and allows the government to detain foreign terrorism suspects for six months. Positive reforms to police custody rules adopted in April effectively exempt terrorism and organize crime suspects.

  • © Fatah Sadaoui for the Collective against Profiling
    France: Ending Ethnic Profiling
    Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault’s recent endorsement of stop forms for police identity checks is an important step. While community groups have hailed the announcement, police unions have objected to what they describe as a precipitous and unfair measure that will impede their work. In reality, momentum has been building for some time toward reform of the identity check procedure in France.
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France

  • France: Ombudsman Supports Identity-Check Reform
    Oct 16, 2012
    The French defender of rights, the national ombudsman, acknowledged in a report the need for reform to tackle abusive and discriminatory identity checks in France and restore trust between police and the population, but failed to take a clear position on key recommendations, a group of French and international organisations said today.
  • France: Respect Hollande’s Commitment on ID Checks
    Oct 5, 2012
    The French government should respect President François Hollande’s commitment during his election campaign to “fight against ethnic profiling and abusive practices during identity checks,” eight national and international organizations said in a document sent on October 5, 2012 to the president, the government, members of parliament, and the Defender of Rights.
  • France: Prime Minister Abandons Identity Check Reform
    Sep 27, 2012
    Human Rights Watch and seven other organizations issued the following statement on September 28, 2012, in response to Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault’s statements backtracking on urgently needed reform of abusive identity check procedures in France.
  • Banning Muslim Veil Denies Women a Choice, Too
    Sep 22, 2012
    Forcing Muslim women to cover up can be a huge human rights violation; banning them from wearing the veil is problematic too.
  • France: Officials Backtrack on Identity Checks
    Sep 19, 2012
    Human Rights Watch and seven other organizations issued the following statement on September 20, 2012, in response to senior French government statements against the reform of abusive identity check procedures in France.
  • France: When Is Change Going to Come for Human Rights?
    Aug 28, 2012
    During the first three months of Francois Hollande’s presidency, the "unraveling" of emblematic measures of the Sarkozy period was expected. On the fiscal and social levels - overtime, social VAT, solidarity tax on wealth, pensions - it has already started, but if there is one issue where change is still to be seen, it is human rights, in France and around the world.
  • France: Renewed Crackdown on Roma
    Aug 10, 2012

    French authorities’ renewed efforts to shut down Roma camps and remove Eastern European Roma from the country raise serious concerns about France’s compliance with its international obligations.
     

  • Joint NGO Letter to French President Hollande Regarding the Unannounced visit of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain on July 23
    Jul 25, 2012
    We are writing to you following your meeting on Monday, July 23 with King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa of Bahrain. This visit was not announced on the Elysée’s website and no official statement was issued by your office after the meeting. Apparently, journalists were also not aware of this meeting.
  • France: Exclude Syria’s Arms Supplier from Paris Arms Show
    Jun 8, 2012

    France should reconsider allowing Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state-owned arms trading company, to participate in Eurosatory, a major international arms show being held outside Paris from June 11 to 15, 2012, Human Rights Watch said today. The arms show is “organized under the auspices” of the French Ministry of Defense. 

  • France: Ending Ethnic Profiling
    Jun 8, 2012
    Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault’s recent endorsement of stop forms for police identity checks is an important step. While community groups have hailed the announcement, police unions have objected to what they describe as a precipitous and unfair measure that will impede their work. In reality, momentum has been building for some time toward reform of the identity check procedure in France.
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