The Guinean baker's apprentice from Besançon on hunger strike has been regularized
The baker Stéphane Ravacley had been on hunger strike since January 3, 2021 to demand the regularization of his apprentice Laye Fodé Traoré, a young Guinean of 18 years.
AFP - SEBASTIEN BOZON
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
The baker from Besançon (eastern France) who had been on hunger strike for a week to protest against the expulsion of his Guinean apprentice will be able to continue to employ him: the young man has been regularized and will be able to stay in France .
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“
Laye is regularized!
And he returns to work on Tuesday!
»Stéphane Ravacley has something to celebrate.
The Besançon baker had been on a hunger strike for several days to demand the regularization of his apprentice, Laye Fodé Traoré, an 18-year-old Guinean subject to an obligation to leave French territory.
Stéphane Ravacley announced the news at the exit of the prefecture of Haute-Saône, where both were received this Thursday.
► To read also: His Guinean apprentice must leave France, a baker is going to start a hunger strike
At the announcement of his regularization, the young man "
practically cried
", confided his apprentice master.
“
He thanked his boss, his educators and the French state,
” added Stéphane Ravacley.
“
It's a great joy, a victory.
Now we are also going to fight for the others
”who are in the same situation elsewhere in France, he added.
A petition collected more than 220,000 signatures
Supported in France as an isolated minor, Laye Fodé Traoré did not obtain a residence permit when he reached majority.
The prefecture considered until now that the identity documents of the young man were not authentic.
But their recent validation by the Embassy of Guinea, which "
issued him a birth certificate
", and a strong citizen mobilization in favor of Laye Fodé Traoré led the prefecture to review its position, according to Stéphane Ravacley.
A petition in favor of the young baker, launched by his boss, had collected more than 220,000 signatures on Tuesday.
The baker, on hunger strike for 10 days,
was taken to the emergency room
Tuesday after feeling unwell.
He announced that he was going to resume eating normally.
Personalities from the political, trade union, artistic or literary world including Omar Sy, Nicolas Hulot and Marion Cotillard had called on Monday, January 11, French President Emmanuel Macron to "
help the Besançon baker on hunger strike
", in
a column published in the
New Observer
.
(With
AFP
)
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