the Assembly unanimously adopts a proposed reparation regulation for the “children of Creuse” | EUROtoday

The National Assembly unanimously adopted, Wednesday night, January 28, a invoice geared toward recognizing and repairing the hurt suffered by Reunion minors forcibly displaced in France between 1962 and 1984. This state coverage affected greater than 2,000 youngsters.

It was beneath the gaze of a number of dozen of those uprooted Reunion Islanders, now adults, that Reunion MP Karine Lebon, from the GDR group (communists and abroad), defended, with tears in her eyes, her proposed regulation within the hemicycle.

“We do not have the power to give them back their childhood (…) but that of facing history”launched the MP, her voice breaking with emotion.

The textual content supplies for the creation of a fee for reminiscence, the institution of a nationwide day of tribute on February 18 and the opening of a proper to reparation within the type of a set allowance. “The choice to open a right to compensation is not a consolation but a national recognition”mentioned M^me Lebon. “Reparing does not mean turning the page, but returning what can be restored. »

Between 1962 and 1984, 2,015 minors were moved from Reunion Island to 83 French departments, mainly rural. This policy decided by the State officially aimed to respond to the doubling of the population of Reunion in thirty years and to repopulate rural areas.

“We told them: your child will come back to see you every year and he will come back as a lawyer, doctor, pilot. Obviously, there was no question of that”recalled Karine Lebon throughout the press convention of her parliamentary group on Tuesday. “Torn from their family and their island”these youngsters had been confronted with a “cultural, linguistic and climatic shock”summarizes the report of the Social Affairs Committee, which provides that many have suffered mistreatment and humiliation, some having additionally skilled a change in marital standing and nonetheless unaware of their actual identify.

This is the case of Marie-Germaine Périgogne, within the stands, who grew up beneath one other id, torn on the age of three from her household and her island for France. Passed from nursery to foster household, earlier than being adopted at 7 years previous by a Creuse household “who loves him but hides his true identity from him”she solely found her actual identify as an adolescent, whereas looking out papers. His marital standing had been modified, cited for instance M^me Lebon in his speech.

“The State has a duty to recognize this error”

“We are so emotional today. We came from Reunion and all of mainland France, because we wanted to hear this yes, which will finally appease us”reacted to Agence France-Presse Marie-Germaine Périgogne, president of the Federation of uprooted youngsters from abroad departments and areas, after the vote.

“We need to find this path to resilience”she pleaded, including that “the next step” is now being performed out within the Senate, the place she hopes, with M^me Lebon, a fast registration of the invoice.

The textual content renames these victims “minors from Reunion transplanted” relatively than“children of Creuse”this division having acquired the biggest contingent however not being on the origin of this coverage. In 2014, the National Assembly adopted a memorial decision recognizing the accountability of the State. In 2017, Emmanuel Macron described this coverage as ” mistake “ having “aggravated the distress” youngsters.

“The so-called “Creuse” youngsters are getting older. They are generally very offended. They say they did not have the life they might have hoped for. And the State has the obligation to acknowledge this error”added Karine Lebon.

The proposed regulation builds on the North African Returnees Act of 2005 and the Harkis Act of 2022, which supplied for comparable recognition and reparation schemes. The allowance will probably be paid upon request to the victims or their descendants. Of the two,015 folks involved, between 200 and 250 had been clearly recognized, Karine Lebon mentioned in committee.