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French Farmer Who Aided Migrants Says Court Might as Well Lock Him Up French Farmer Who Aided Migrants Says Court Might as Well Lock Him Up
(about 13 hours later)
PARIS — A French farmer who smuggled migrants across the Italian border was sentenced on Tuesday to a suspended four-month prison term in a case that has shone a light on the government’s immigration policies.PARIS — A French farmer who smuggled migrants across the Italian border was sentenced on Tuesday to a suspended four-month prison term in a case that has shone a light on the government’s immigration policies.
The farmer, Cédric Herrou, an olive grower who lives in the Roya Valley in southeastern France, said after the sentence was handed down that he would continue to help African migrants crossing from Italy to seek asylum in France, or to travel farther north to other destinations, like Britain or Germany.The farmer, Cédric Herrou, an olive grower who lives in the Roya Valley in southeastern France, said after the sentence was handed down that he would continue to help African migrants crossing from Italy to seek asylum in France, or to travel farther north to other destinations, like Britain or Germany.
Mr. Herrou had been convicted in February by a lower court in Nice, which had given him a suspended 3,000 euro fine, meaning he did not have to pay if he stayed out of trouble for five years. Mr. Herrou was convicted in February by a lower court in Nice, which gave him a suspended fine of 3,000 euro, or about $3,500, meaning he did not have to pay if he stayed out of trouble for five years.
The same mechanism will apply to the four-month prison sentence, which was handed to him by an appeals court in Aix-en-Provence. The prosecutor in Nice, who had requested an eight-month prison term at Mr. Herrou’s initial and highly publicized trial, had appealed the February sentence because he believed it was too lenient. The same mechanism will apply to the four-month sentence, which was handed to him by an appeals court in Aix-en-Provence. The prosecutor in Nice, who had requested an eight-month prison term at Mr. Herrou’s initial and highly publicized trial, had appealed the February sentence because he believed it was too lenient.
Mr. Herrou, speaking to reporters Tuesday after the court ruled, was defiant as supporters around him clapped. Mr. Herrou, speaking Tuesday to reporters after the court ruled, was defiant as supporters around him clapped.
“A four-month suspended prison sentence, why don’t they put me in prison directly, it will be simpler,” he said, adding that he would continue to help migrants because of the French government’s “failure” to do so. He also said that he would appeal the decision to a higher court. “A four-month suspended prison sentence, why don’t they put me in prison directly, it will be simpler,” he said, adding that he would continue to help migrants because of the French government’s “failure” to do so. He also said he would appeal the decision.
“I will continue my actions because it must be done,” Mr. Herrou said.“I will continue my actions because it must be done,” Mr. Herrou said.
The court in Aix-en-Provence ruled that Mr. Herrou had gone beyond the scope of a 2012 law that makes it legal for citizens to aid migrants on humanitarian grounds, according to a report by the Agence France-Presse, which observed the ruling Tuesday. The law has enabled Mr. Herrou and his association, Roya Citoyenne, to legally help hundreds of migrants file asylum requests. The court in Aix-en-Provence ruled that Mr. Herrou had gone beyond the scope of a 2012 law that makes it legal for citizens to aid migrants on humanitarian grounds, according to a report by the news agency Agence France-Presse, which observed the ruling Tuesday. The law has enabled Mr. Herrou and his association, Roya Citoyenne, to legally help hundreds of migrants file asylum requests.
But the court found that in this case, which dates to 2016, Mr. Herrou had not simply provided humanitarian aid to migrants, and that he had instead acted like a “militant” seeking to protest government policy by helping about 200 migrants avoid police checks, by smuggling them across the border and housing them on his farm.But the court found that in this case, which dates to 2016, Mr. Herrou had not simply provided humanitarian aid to migrants, and that he had instead acted like a “militant” seeking to protest government policy by helping about 200 migrants avoid police checks, by smuggling them across the border and housing them on his farm.
Unlike the lower court in Nice, the appeals court also found Mr. Herrou guilty of illegally sheltering Eritrean migrants last October in an unoccupied holiday resort belonging to the national railway company, and the appeals court ordered him to pay 1,000 euros, or about $1,200, in damages. Unlike the lower court in Nice, the appeals court also found Mr. Herrou guilty of illegally sheltering Eritrean migrants last October in an unoccupied resort belonging to the national railway company, and the appeals court ordered him to pay 1,000 euros, or about $1,200, in damages.
Mr. Herrou is supported by several local aid groups and left-wing politicians. But Eric Ciotti, a right-wing representative for the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Roya Valley, wrote on Twitter after the ruling on Tuesday that Mr. Herrou’s actions were “dangerous.” Mr. Herrou is supported by several local aid groups and left-wing politicians. But Eric Ciotti, a right-wing representative for the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Roya Valley, wrote on Twitter after the ruling that Mr. Herrou’s actions were “dangerous.”
“The judiciary finally says clearly that Mr. Herrou is a criminal who is exploiting human distress,” Mr. Ciotti said.“The judiciary finally says clearly that Mr. Herrou is a criminal who is exploiting human distress,” Mr. Ciotti said.
Mr. Herrou had been arrested multiple times since 2016. He was most recently charged in a similar but separate case in July, after his arrest at the Cannes train station, where he was accompanying more than a hundred migrants to register for asylum in Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast.Mr. Herrou had been arrested multiple times since 2016. He was most recently charged in a similar but separate case in July, after his arrest at the Cannes train station, where he was accompanying more than a hundred migrants to register for asylum in Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast.
A judge in that case had ordered that Mr. Herrou stay on French territory and barred him from even going near a train station.A judge in that case had ordered that Mr. Herrou stay on French territory and barred him from even going near a train station.
The government of President Emmanuel Macron is working on a proposal to speed up the process for asylum seekers in France and provide them with more temporary housing, but it has also drawn a strict line between migrants it says qualify for asylum and those it says are coming for “economic” reasons.The government of President Emmanuel Macron is working on a proposal to speed up the process for asylum seekers in France and provide them with more temporary housing, but it has also drawn a strict line between migrants it says qualify for asylum and those it says are coming for “economic” reasons.
In the area around Calais, a port city in northern France where a sprawling migrant camp was dismantled in October, asylum seekers and aid groups recently alleged that police officers routinely used pepper spray, limited access to food and destroyed shelters to harass migrants.In the area around Calais, a port city in northern France where a sprawling migrant camp was dismantled in October, asylum seekers and aid groups recently alleged that police officers routinely used pepper spray, limited access to food and destroyed shelters to harass migrants.
Last week, the French government was ordered by France’s highest administrative court to provide basic services like water and toilets to newly arrived migrants in the Calais area.Last week, the French government was ordered by France’s highest administrative court to provide basic services like water and toilets to newly arrived migrants in the Calais area.