Moroccan Emmaüs Worker Faces Deportation, Community Rallies for His Stay in France

The news of Bilal’s arrest, when he just wanted to regularize his situation, after having spent several years on the street, really shocked the Emmaüs Community of Servas. "In June, he initiated a procedure to be regularized and thus benefit from the Emmaüs amendment which allows solidarity workers to remain in France by justifying an uninterrupted presence in a community. He was asked to come to the gendarmerie this Tuesday to pick up this authorization," reports Le Progrès, citing Bernadette Perraud, the president of the Emmaüs association.

According to the state services, the Moroccan’s request was carefully studied, but several elements, including his escape from a detention center in 2015 and the non-compliance with a residence assignment the following year, did not play in his favor. "It is a profile with a public order issue. He came forward for a request for exceptional admission to stay, but he does not meet the criteria for the administration. He was summoned to the gendarmerie for questioning and verification of his situation," it was indicated at the prefecture.

However, "At Emmaüs, we are here to rebuild men, not to break them. We are wounded in the heart of our work," explained Bernadette Perraud. Furthermore, since February 17, the Community has ceased all activity, knocking on all doors to rescue the Moroccan threatened with expulsion to his country of origin. For the moment, "he is trying to keep his morale up and an appeal before the judge of freedoms will be made this Thursday, before a second one, for what concerns the measures of removal." Meanwhile, the support team has launched an online petition that has already gathered more than 200 signatures.