Testimony of a ex-inmate from Vincennes CRA (detention center for immigrants), deported to Tunisia
“The cops woke me up at about 3am, then straight away they put me on the plane. It’s a small private plane.
We publish this testimony from a ex-detained in the Vincennes’ detention center, a Tunisian national, married and father of a French child, who has been in France for many years, and who was deported to Tunisia last December on a hidden PAF charter flight.
By – abaslescra.noblogs
Hi. I wanted to ask you if you could tell the story of how you lost your temporary residence permit etc.
I had a residence permit for a French child, the first time they gave me a residence permit for one year and the second time they gave me two years, and for the third time, they refused to renew it because of my criminal record but it was a mini conviction and it wasn’t even something I did, they had the wrong identity for a burglary, I appealed but I didn’t get an answer. In fact, at the police station they know it wasn’t me, they know who did the burglary, but as the guy doesn’t have the papers he’s not registered with the French state they put it all on me
Afterwards, I did a short stint in prison for 4 months and when I got out I was taken to the CRA (detention center), even though I had lodged an appeal and everything. The PAF came to see me, I asked to see a lawyer, to have an interpreter, but he didn’t care, I gave him my appeal that I made in 2019 but he didn’t care, they’re not human, they don’t have a heart, they have plastic hearts I swear. Afterwards they said that I said I didn’t care about France, that I didn’t care about my son, anything. They made it all up.Then they gave me an OQTF (obligation to leave French territory).
They took me to Oissel (CRA), then I was in the Covid centre (in Plaisir), then I was in Vincennes again. I did more than two months in all.
Frankly, I find Oissel better than Vincennes in real life. In Plaisir, there’s one person per room, every morning a nurse comes to see you. But the cops, as soon as you do something, they put a helmet on you, they tape you up, they put you in solitary confinement, they are crazy. Because there’s no control behind them.
Anyway, generally speaking, the cops do what they want.
In Vincennes, it’s crazy, some people have committed suicide in front of me, some are totally stoned, I’ve seen things, you have no idea, it’s a crazy thing. The behaviour of the police, they insult you, etc… As I speak French, I know it, I lived with a French woman for 8 years, so I don’t give up, but as soon as you answer the insults, they tyed you and put you in a corner, they leave you, and it’s up to them, you can stay for 2 hours or 24 hours, they’re the ones who discuss, and they don’t give you any food.
In the morning there’s no breakfast, at lunchtime, frankly, even my dog doesn’t eat that.
Yeah, and people say that they put painkillers in the food?
Well yeah, you’re always tired after eating, even today, I went out, well I’m always tired, weird. I don’t take any medication or anything, but I have weird effects. People don’t lie to you.
And what is it like between prisoners? Is there any solidarity?
Well it’s weird, some people are on drugs, some people are on too many “medical drugs”, it really depends on the person.
The last time you were in solitary confinement was just before you were expelled, right?
Yeah, you see, there was a story with a person who worked at the reception, it’s not a cop, it’s a specific company (editor’s note: GEPSA), he told me to go back to your country, go back home, so I answer to him, I was angry, they shouldn’t talk like that to people, and so the cops arrived, they handcuffed me, they took me to isolation, they left me for 24 hours, and then they took me straight to the airport.
They didn’t tell me anything, I didn’t do any tests or anything.
So how did it go?
Well, they woke me up at about 3am, they just told me to come, and then they put me on the plane. It’s not a normal plane, it’s a small private plane, for the stars and the rich you see. It was in a small airport (editor’s note: Le Bourget). There were five other people in total.
Frankly, they beat me up, they insulted me. For a fortnight afterwards I couldn’t walk straight because they hit me so hard.
And they expelled me even though I hadn’t yet gone to the Administrative Tribunal. My summons to the Tribunal is in December.
And they came from Vincennes too?
No, there was nobody from Vincennes. Maybe from other ARCs, but not from Vincennes.
I was arrested, but not the others. The plane stopped in Marseille and then went straight to Tabarka in Tunisia (editor’s note: the arrival airport).
There aren’t many seats on the plane, only about a dozen. So there can’t be many of us.
What happened when you arrived in Tunisia?
Frankly, they didn’t keep me long. There was only one person who was wanted, and he was arrested. But me and the other three people stayed for an hour, then they released us.
You see, I can’t see my son, it’s horrible now. Basically we come from Montargis, it’s too far. And now Tunisia… How do you explain to a 5 year old child that his father has no papers and is being deported to Tunisia? But I’ve kept all the evidence of what they did to me, when he grows up I’ll explain it to him.
His wife: You see, when I came to see him, I had to do a test before coming, then a 7-day quarantine hotel and then another test. It’s really a double standard.