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8/11/2006 - Summer of Sarko by Kay Dilday

ICWA KAD FRANCE Kay Dilday Institute Fellow studying relationships French North African immigrants France North Africa letters Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided termfellowships enable outstandingyoung professionals outsidethe United States write about international areas issues An operating foundation endowedby Charles R Crane theInstitute supported contri butions minded individuals foundations TRUSTEES Bryn Barnard Joseph Battat Carole Beaulieu Mary Lynne Bird Sharon F Doorasamy Peter Geithner Gary Hartshorn Pramila Jayapal Cheng Li Steven Butler Dasa Obereigner David Z Robinson Carol Rose John Spencer Edmund Sutton HONORARY TRUSTEES David Elliot David Hapgood Pat M Holt Edwin S Munger Richard H Nolte Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot Summer Sarko By K A Dilday August PARIS The waiting Jeff Babatund Shittu walked courtroom Two armed guards discreetly flanked entrance quiet almost unnoticed crowd Some seconds after murmur finally through people realized arrived Mr Shittu accused crime wanting France France doesn This hearing administrative court Paris decide whether would permitted leave detention center where state nearly resume Paris He guarded France rejected would escape labyrin thine network clandestine Mr Shittu Nigerian He arrived Paris plane Novem immediately requested asylum In February request turned although lawyer appealing decision A before hearing Mr Shittu riding friends The police stopped asked their papers When could produce valid resident taken detention center At hearing judge quizzed about family Nigeria Mr Shittu never father mother municipal government worker murdered political reasons which country Do proof judge asked He Throughout hearing struck about Mr Shittu nariness Of average height build small round metal framed glasses close cropped In green shirt jeans looked person might browsing shelves bookstore He stood hands clasped behind bowed respectfully except asked speak His answers simple passioned speech about difficult escaped Nigeria about French In brief controll glimpse hearing forded little about seemed remarkable His lawyer Christophe Pouly stress extraordinariness For petition asylum prove applicant would danger forced return country In Mr Shittu proved difficult Mr Pouly played France philosophy immigration which stresses integration He tried establish Mr Shittu bonds France friends record school spoke French close family members Nigeria One paradoxes hearings proof integration France factors being permitted effective achieve enter illegally about building French Because Mr Shittu requested asylum immediately arrival authorities track movements When turned July became vulnerable French permit expulsion children attending school right child France under gardless legal status guardians housing After riots young immigrant neighborhoods France interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy reacted publicly vowing expel people country illegal He instructed police aggressively those without title country papiers without papers called French There public outcry police began taking children their schools As compromise Mr Sarkozy agreed expel school children youths during academic their families special consideration residency When school ended spring Mr Sarkozy memorandum prefectures across France In criteria should decide whether students their families deserve remain France This widely known circular June created frenzy grant neighborhoods across nation It gives until August deposit dossier requesting papers their prefecture It causing block lines prefectures often short staffed summer among organizations support migrants raised battle Its prescriptions account certain legali French Minors regardless their legal right country while attending school Mr Sarkozy began detain expel illegal immigrants their children often If police stopped someone street discovered country illegal police would their children sometimes schools remove could their families detention centers But circular legal document Marie Du organi zation Gisti which provides legal advice support immigrants tells force It nothing letter emphatically And document causing activity simply reiterating current The August deadline legal weight The greatest success frightening people revealing their whereabouts The circular itself seems strange thing Amer formed sensibility It explains procedures tremendous effect thousands lives In other places would written third person authorless This written first Each instruction begins I seems necessary signed Mr Sarkozy It without sugar Mr Sarkozy structs prefects remind people families voluntarily repatriate receive flight euros single adult ouple their first child additional And summer elect repatriation before month deadline those amounts doubled This signed first person circular makes aggres enforcement almost personal which Mr Sarkozy seems Although France still months presidential election thing looms For election shaped every political maneuver France Mr Sarkozy likely candidate conservative party carving identity guardian order which interior minister Yet public rhetoric succeeded becoming synonymous deportation melodrama occurring prefectures across country summer The invoked often immigrants their porters Sarko Leftists struggle against personal battle between forces compassion toler Nicolas Sarkozy In interview office Ms Duflo I noticed shelves files titled before after Sarko Despite Mr Sarkozy authoritative explicit regularization attainment legal residence called simple process Even though prefect representative interior minister their decisions independent prefecture KAD A banner outside Paris school satisfying sometimes inexact requirements state Each anarchy according Ms Duflo This Mr Sarkozy promised expel illegal immigrants estimates country Mr Sarkozy critics gaining popularity quest president adopting policies right National Front party which reduced immigration signature issue His willingness identified driving force person responsible these summer expulsions great about attitude toward immigrants among France voting public The organization alerted press Mr Shittu hearing R Educations Sans Fronti RESF Created RESF loose association about organizations schools preventing expelling students They place students under parrainage parrain godfather legal family Since June Mr Shittu under parrainage local official marrainage Catherine Bayru teachers She present hearing stood judge responsible young I learned about Mr Shittu hearing email RESF sends student danger INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS expulsion The headline advisories often gives young student danger expulsion But although Mr Sarkozy talked tough students expelled summer their stories often quite textured I received email about Abdallah Bou chraf young Moroccan expelled July As I further I discovered entered country illegally first attempt legal residence despite father legal resident France since attention authorities arrested allegedly beating homeless By I finished reading email sympa waned The thing alive possibility perhaps homeless barring contingency I agree Mr Sarkozy following protests organizations Mr Bouchraf expulsion there absolutely reason anyone young deportation RESF argum entrenched society hopes dreams family friends France disruptive student munity Pierre Cordelier spokesmen tells It RESF position Mr Cordelier lawbreak serve before deported being penalized twice At announcement about Mr Bouchraf imminent expulsion RESF calls regularization those without papers But someone Mr Bouchraf elicit sympathy French people believe their country should provide residency crimi especially there others clamoring pummeling gents This problem emblemized RESF faces figure address issue immigration answers public fears about violent disruptive temporary residents traditional ciples Yet despite inability coherent political position Mr Cordelier claims spate publicized expulsions making French public pathize immigrants When Aminata Diallo student returned Bamako Mali RESF members showed airport convinced other passengers Air France flight refuse buckle their belts plane could While aboriginal French chaotic burning violent protest cherish France revolutionary birth never orderly insurrection It threatened arrest other passengers finally shackled themselves plane Yet public meaning protest against aggressive expulsions Socialist candidate president office As Mr Sarkozy merely enforcing books decades But organizations RESF other groups France follow example European neighbors Last Spain about people country illegally given amnesty submitted successful applications residency proving contract criminal record At July government Italy would legal status illegal residents country provided already Around Germany nounced would resident papers between people In France where inabil create another government headaches Mr Sarkozy there massive amnesty program Of approximately residency demands ministry expects receive August deadline summer about percent approved Mr Sarkozy being forced deport large numbers people precisely because social KAD National action against expulsions July government preceded current administra handle immigration chronically enforcing country Even those disagree Mr Sarkozy policies concur assessment Samuel Hanryon worker M decins Fronti center Paris center provides medical physical psychological immigrants agrees He power easier grants obtain citizenship government tended leave thousands people living shadows peace It policy offering slimmest semblance protection At asking tremen effect daily black brown people France regardless their legal status In France police reason demand papers passer Thus racial profiling while perhaps techni cally illegal fully operational since police supply reason stopped someone As clock begins police force metro stops neighborhoods where immigrants In Belleville immigrant saturated neigh borhood subject second newsletter people I spoken claim police asking black brown Asian people their papers while letting whites This sound small thing being routine asked proof legitimacy papers insidi ously damaging experience might first think I claim there months stopped asked their papers every The effect profound profoundly distinct titled illegal residents When constantly asked prove right country citizen seems interloper sider those charged guarding populace For illegal immigrants creates terrible sense precariousness those process legalizing their status deported forced decision detention center discovered valid resident The difference between someone Mr Shittu Mr Bouchraf stark And indeed these differences essential those concerned legal rather social aspects migration Refugees rights under Geneva Conventions Ms Duflo repeats again again Mr Hanryon M Fronti They different economic migrants Mr Hanyron emphasizes their countries because danger trauma Often still struggling psycho logically trauma caused When arrive Franc physical danger their situation usually precarious They place place Mr Hanryon often every weeks They family support It worst women In cramped conditions clandestines particularly vulnerable daily KAD possibility being stopped asked their papers Under country place since 1970s Mr Bouchraf would better chance staying familial connection country these controls changing Mr Sar wants familial regroupement providing residency people family members already country common immigration choice operative concept France immigration Thus people industries where France short would invited temporary employment At first African European conference Af rican migration Rabat Morocco July representatives continents gathered Mr Shittu friends outside courtroom journalists review special residency cases Mr Klarsfeld Bimbola Kuteyi sunglasses discuss numbers people attempt enter Europe Africa Mr Sarkozy under attack stringency immigration rules Many African representatives accused facilitating brain drain troubled countries He countered several arguments including talented Africans received their educations France should return Africa improve their native countries Mr Shittu would category He abiding resourceful dedicated student In return Nigeria another country Africa At Mr Shittu hearing judge asked would allowed France Finish school baccalaureate Not added emphatically And after judge asked I answered seeming little confused I spoke Nigerian support after hearing They friends INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Nigerian community I Mr Shittu personality greeted He clasped their hands smiled warmth One Bimbola Kuteyi Nigerian France three years Why I asked I spoke French I I American asked switch English Because better being country Why America It harder Mr Kiteyi finished school doing Working taking French person immediate cause privileges In breath would likely because amily there I wondered telling truth cause stays years under current rules would eligible residents permits Mr Shittu hearing brief minutes When ended I asked lawyer thought shrugged A hours later court rejected Mr Shittu application residency ruled returned Nigeria logistics could arranged Nigerian government Yet three later mayor Mr Shittu neighborhood contacted Arno Klarsfeld mediator Mr Sarkozy chose reviewed Mr Shittu dossier noting spoke French second class recommended allowed For moment Mr Shittu exhale He prieve Even knows whether allowed But I mentioned Mr Shittu extraordinary ordinariness Among dreds thousands people living clandestinely France there thousands young women Mr Sarkozy France cannot sustain POSTSCRIPT On August Jeff Babatund Shittu deported morning flight Lagos Nige after randomly stopped police Paris The plane departed rebellion other passengers INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Current Fellows their Activities Richard D Connerney January INDIA A lecturer Philosophy Asian Religions Philosophy Rutgers Iona College University Hawaii Manoa Rick Connerney spending years Phillips Talbot Fellow studying writing about intertwining religion culture politics India described former U S Ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith functioning anarchy Rick B A M A religion Wheaton College Univer Hawaii respectively Kay Dilday October FRANCE MOROCCO An editor New York Times Op Ed years Kay holds M A Comparative International Politics Theory Graduate Center City University New York Bachelor degree English Literature Tufts University graduate Universiteit Amsterdam Netherlands Cours Civilisation Sorbonne She traveled written Haiti began jouralistic council reporter Somerville This Week Somerville MA Nicholas Schmidle February PAKISTAN Nicholas freelance writer interested intersection culture religion politics Asia He spending years Pakistan writing issues ethnic sectarian national identity Previously reported Central Asia Iran published Washington Post Weekly Standard Foreign Policy Chr istian Science Monitor others Nick received M A International Affairs Regional Studies American University December He lives Rikki Andrew J Tabler February SYRIA LEBANON Andrew lived studied worked Middle East since Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Fellowship enabled begin Arabic language studies toward Master degree American University Cairo Following Master editorships Middle East Times Cairo Times before moving Turkey Lebanon Syria working Senior Editor Oxford Business Group correspondent Economist Intelligence Unit His ICWA fellowship bases Beirut Damascus where report Lebanese affairs Syrian reform Jill Winder July GERMANY With B A politics Whitman College Walla Walla WA Master degree Art Curating Bard College Annandale Hudson NY Jill ICWA Donors Fellow looking Germany through ideas viewpoints contemporary artists Before months intensive study German language Berlin Thomas J Watson Fellow looking communist practice cultural politics transition former Soviet Czech Republic Slovakia Poland Croatia Hungary Latvia Romania Slovenia Ukraine Institute Fellows chosen basis character previous experi promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experi ences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assessment international events issues ICWA Letters ISSN published Institute Current World Affairs Inc exempt operating dation incorporated New York State offices located West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 The letters provided charge members ICWA available libraries professional researchers scription Phone Fax E Mail valley Web address Executive Director Steven Butler Program Assistant Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation The Information contained publication reprinted republished without express written Institute Current World Affairs