French Far-Right Party Faces Legal Challenge Over Anti-Immigrant Flyer

Lawyers reported this flyer to the justice system because it "stigmatizes unaccompanied minors as delinquents who would cost the departmental communities dearly to the detriment of the French," explained Emmanuel Daoud, co-author of the report, citing in particular Article 24 of the law of July 29, 1881 allowing to sanction statements aimed at giving "a negative image of the communities targeted".

In this flyer titled "Did you know?" distributed in view of the departmental elections, the RN claims that "a foreign unaccompanied minor costs the department 40,000 € per year. 60% are actually of legal age. (2017 Senate report) They are responsible for the explosion of insecurity. (Example: 2 offenses/crimes per day in Bordeaux in 2020). Only our elected officials will put an end to this scandal!" "Rather than financing foreign unaccompanied minors or helping to house illegal immigrants, elected officials, we will invest more in the education of our children, the well-being of our elders and the integration of people with disabilities," it is also written.

"We cannot accept that political debate is limited in a demagogic way to a discourse of hatred, hammered Emmanuel Daoud. With figures that are a complete nonsense, and to the detriment of a population as vulnerable as these children." The lawyer calls on prosecutors to act. Contacted, the Créteil prosecutor’s office told AFP that it is studying the report.