Migrants struggle to survive under bridge in Paris

PARIS

A group of migrants has been struggling to survive for weeks in cold weather inside a tunnel under a bridge in the French capital Paris.

Around 200 migrants from Mali, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Algeria, and Morocco are waiting for the day their requests for shelter will be accepted.

Congolese origin Linon told Anadolu Agency that since Nov. 10, he has been living on the street with his 12-year-old son who has undergone surgery, and that cold weather conditions adversely affected the healing process of his child.

She said she was feeling very upset, particularly when her son asked if they would celebrate Christmas in the tent.

Through social media groups, residents of Pre-Saint-Gervais and Pantin, which are close to the tunnel, provide daily meals and clothes such as gloves, boots, and coats that will keep the migrants warm.

Agathe Cemin, a resident bringing aid with her 4-month-old baby to the migrants under the bridge, said people were living in tents in the tunnel for the last few months, and their number increased with the arrival of winter.

Cemin said they are trying to warn the authorities about the situation in the tunnel, saying: "Because we alone cannot do more."

More than 300 people, including residents and those from aid organizations, marched to the 19th district of Paris on Nov. 28 to remind authorities of their responsibilities and the situation of the migrants who had to take shelter under the bridge.