Amidst 2024 Paris Olympics Preparations, Homeless People to Be Transferred Out of the City

Hosting an Olympic games is a big deal for any country. It is a chance to showcase the best of their culture for the whole wide world to see. A lot of work goes into getting the requisite approvals. Picking the host city is no picnic either. Tourists and fans from all over will flock to that location in hordes. As is common knowledge, the City of Light will be the next host of the Summer Olympics in 2024.

A century after it last played host, Paris will be home to the event for the third time. Paris will join London in the list of cities in history to do so in the modern era. As things stand, the upcoming games have whipped up a frenzy in the French capital. Many logistical nightmares have reared their heads. Preparations continue to make the 2024 Paris Olympics the crème de la crème of sporting events. The homeless population in Paris is now in the crosshairs. Unconfirmed speculation abounds that this situation arose because of the Paris Olympics.

Relocation of the homeless population

According to CNN, many of the city’s homeless population are now being moved to other parts of France. The report noted that there were approximately 50,000 homeless people in hotels in Paris and the surrounding areas in 2022. Around 2,000 of those hotels are no longer an option, forcing these people into the streets. Other estimates note that around half of the homeless population in the country is found either in or around Paris. Those in charge say that the motivations behind the relocation are neither the ongoing Rugby World Cup nor the Paris Olympics.

The government maintains the idea behind the relocation program is to ease the strain felt by the capital. A long-term work contract is almost a necessity for continued stay in Paris, particularly for migrants. Buses transport swathes of the homeless every day to other cities in France. There are about ten temporary shelters set up across the country. Sadly, each can accommodate a maximum of 50 people. There are currently no options for permanent residence.

Logistical nightmares pre-Paris Olympics

The unmanageable number of homeless people is from the only logistical hiccup. Paris is presently home to a massive infestation of bedbugs. The Open Water Swimming World Cup had to be canceled as the river Seine was heavily polluted. That was supposed to be a test run for the Paris Olympics. The organizers expressed hope that the river will be in good condition to host swimming events soon.

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President Emmanuel Macron, during a televised interview, said that France will keep its borders open for migrants. Simultaneously, he noted that the country is in no position to accommodate “all the misery in the world.” The CNN report also mentioned that the French deported close to 20,000 irregular immigrants in 2022. None appear to have a long-term solution, however. 

The Paris Olympics looks set to be a spectacle for the ages. For the time being, the organizers have their hands full with a variety of issues. Relocating a chunk of the homeless population in and around Paris has solved some problems while creating more. Some of them have no choice but to stay, be it in hotels or on the streets. Whether this situation reared its head because of that grand sporting event is anyone’s guess. This crisis does not appear to have a simple resolution.

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