PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th June, 2023) Students from France's Ile-de-France region learned from a Twitter post that some of them will be evicted for the time of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, the head of the Paris student unions, Ritchy Thibault, told RIA Novosti.
"We learned about it from a press release posted on Twitter, which said, 'Following the request we received from the Olympic Games (organizational) committee, you will be evicted,' no more, no less!" Thibault said.
The eviction notice was posted on the Twitter account of a Paris student accommodation provider, Crous company. As of now, the government has not offered the students any alternative housing, he said.
"It is a blatant contempt, which in a broader sense reflects the government's contempt for the people. For France, which claims to be capable of hosting such event as Olympic Games, not being able to accommodate people and putting the students on the street is simply unbecoming. This reveals its incompetence," Thibault said.
The evictions will affect twelve dormitories and about 3,200 students, Thibault said, adding that housing is provided for students from families with modest incomes, and most of them stay in Paris for the summer to earn money.
"The students are put in deadlock in terms of the ability to work and even study, because many retake their exams in the summer. It is outrageous that due to lack of housing you can just walk in and put the students like me on the street. In the summer, most of us work to meet the basic needs. And we also will not be able to enjoy the Olympics," Thibault said.
The evictions will also affect the foreign students who live on scholarship only and are unable to rent, he added.
As the host of the Olympic Games, France must create an infrastructure to accommodate the athletes, the personnel and volunteers, however, it has not been done yet, Thibault said.
The 2024 Summer Olympics will take place in Paris from July 26-August 11 of next year.
