Rights body to probe Paris homeless 'clean-up' before Olympics

France's top state human rights body has said it is probing criticism of efforts to relocate the city's homeless population ahead of the Paris Olympics this year.

Homeless people install tents near the Saint-Martin canal in Paris. AFP PHOTO / PIERRE ANDRIEU

Some charities have accused local authorities of carrying out a "social cleansing" operation in the capital and surrounding region ahead of the games by clearing away the homeless, as well as migrant camps and slums.

The transfer of people from Paris to temporary accommodation centres in provincial France has caused tensions and demonstrations in some towns and rural areas.

French rights ombudswoman Claire Hedon said she had started an investigation into "the threat to rights and freedoms in the context of the Olympic Games".

• Homeless charities warn of 'social cleansing' ahead of Paris Olympics

She said she would look into "the manner in which homeless people are sent outside of Paris to accommodation centres, the way in which living areas are being destroyed."

It posed the question of whether there was a policy "of making undesirable people invisible", she added.

The investigation would also look into the use of student accommodation in Paris to house members of the emergency services and other state employees during the Games, which will mean around 2,000 students will have to be re-housed.

AI-crowd monitoring software scrutinised

Hedon will also probe restrictions placed on demonstrations and the use of AI-assisted crowd monitoring software by the French police.

Her findings are set to be published in April at the earliest.

France's Office for the Defence of Rights is an independent state institution, created in 2011, whose role is to investigate possible rights abuse and make recommendations to the government.

The French government has denied having a "zero homeless" target for the Olympics, saying that additional accommodation for rough sleepers would be part of the legacy of the games.

• Paris 'not ready' for Olympics amid transport and housing worries

Authorities in China cleared an unknown number of beggars, hawkers and the homeless from the streets of China before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with many shipped back to their home regions, reports said at the time.

Brazilian campaign groups also said Rio de Janeiro's homeless were being forced out of tourist areas in the middle of the night as the city hosted the games in 2016.

The Paris Olympics are set to run from 26 July to 11 August, followed by the Paralympics from 28 August to 8 September.

(with AFP)