Mother jailed as mayor seeks to clear beggars off Nice's streets

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A pregnant young Roma mother has been jailed for a year in Nice after being convicted of mistreating her children on the Mediterranean city's streets. Human rights and Roma groups see a worrying link between the woman's arrest and conviction and a campaign by the right-wing mayor Christian Estrosi to clean up the city's streets for the tourist season, and claim the authorities have sought to make an example of her. Louise Fessard reports.

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The homeless are not welcome in Nice, especially during the tourist season. That seems to be the message after the right-wing mayor of the Mediterranean city, Christian Estrosi, signed a decree on June 22nd, 2018, banning begging from several parts of the city centre until September 30th. At the same time the city council decided to cut the water supply to at least one of its fountains, at the Place du Pin near the port. According to Nice Matin newspaper, this decision taken after a meeting with local businesses was aimed at “moving the homeless on”.

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