Cornebarrieu administrative retention center. Departmental Directorate of the Border Police.

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Alexandre GELEBART / REA

  • Last year, 1,320 people were locked up in the Cornebarrieu detention center last year, including 57 children according to the latest Cimade report.

  • In the midst of a health crisis, and while the borders are closed, the association criticizes the confinement policy which exceeds in 13% of cases the 46 days in a detention center.

Since the start of the coronavirus epidemic, three people have tested positive at the Cornebarrieu detention center, including one last week, who was released.

“With the health crisis, we realize the absurdity of detention at all costs.

We lock people up in places of overcrowding, and we keep them available, while the borders are closed ”, deplores Elsa Putelat who works on behalf of Cimade at the Cornebarrieu detention center, north of Toulouse (Haute- Garonne).

The association that helps migrants has just released its annual report on these places where undocumented people are held, often awaiting deportation.

In Cornebarrieu, 1,320 people were locked up last year, including 57 children aged 3 weeks to 16 years, report the Toulouse members of the Cimade.

The speakers of @lacimade at the CRA of Cornebarrieu present this morning the national detention report 2019 # StopViolencesRétention


Find the report online at https://t.co/O5f2x6NPTl pic.twitter.com/LqU8srftu6

- La Cimade Toulouse (@CimadeTLS) September 22, 2020

"Increase in trauma related to confinement"

Last year was especially marked by the lengthening of the detention period, which went from a maximum of 45 days to 90 days.

More than 13% of people who went through the Toulouse CRA stayed there for more than 46 days.

“However, we know that 90% of deportations are made before 45 days, after which expulsion is often impossible.

So it doesn't serve to expel more and better, but it's a way to lock up longer.

However, we are seeing that there is more and more self-harm, suicide attempts, an increase in trauma linked to confinement, ”says Pablo Martin, one of the Cimade workers.

While 47.2% of those detained were removed to their country of origin or where they had stayed before their arrival in France, in 2019, 46.4% were released.

A rate which has reached 67% since the start of the year at the Cornebarrieu detention center which has seen 687 people pass since January, including twenty children.

“With the health situation, there were fewer placements,” continues Elsa Putelat.

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  • Cimade

  • Immigration

  • Detention center

  • Toulouse

  • Migrants

  • Coronavirus

  • Society