The French governement is asking local charities to help over an initiative to take in an extra 1,000 refugees and house them with families, reports The Atlantic.
The French Ministry of Housing and Sustainable Homes says it will pay 1,500 euros to organizations for each refugee they help to house, as the country’s migrant centers are overcrowded
“Citizens hosting #refugees : @emmacosse calls for organization’s projects, open until 09/20,” the ministry tweeted.
Emmanuelle Cosse, the housing minister, released a statement Tuesday urging French organizations to submit “citizen engagement” proposals to help coordinate the housing and integration of incoming refugees.
She said: "As part of the European agreements, France will receive more than 30,000 refugees from Turkey, Lebanon, and from hot spots in Greece and Italy in 2017. And millions of others will arrive on their own to apply for asylum in France. … This call for citizen housing would support and accompany civil society's goals and welcome an additional 1,000 refugees within an experimental and innovative initiative."
To accommodate the expected refugee influx, the ministry announced plans to more than double the capacity of refugee centers from 2,000 spaces to 5,000 spaces by September, Le Monde reports. An estimated 500 refugees have already been placed with French families, and Tuesday’s proposal aims to increase that number by 1,000.
“It is a great way to build relationships and create a network, but there are safeguards, to ensure accommodations are in good condition, that it’s free, and that it’s not overly burdensome for the families,” Cosse told Le Monde.