BY BEN KERRIGAN
French authorities have held an eight-year-old boy who flew to Paris’s main airport unaccompanied.
The young boy was held for more than a week after trying to enter France’s Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport last week with fraudulent papers.
Detained in an airport holding area for those trying to enter the country illegally, his detention led to cries of injustice from Children’s rights campaigners,who accused the authorities of breaking international child protection laws by refusing to let the youngster join relatives in France.
Those cries are completely groundless, when pitted against the fact this boy produced a French passport in his cousin’s name. This act of fraud was certainly the fault of his parents, but the eight year old boy knew what he was doing. He could have protested against any pressure put on him by his parents, even though his protest may well have been overruled by his forceful parents.
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The boy unnamed for legal reasons, was put on a plane to Paris from the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of south-east Africa, more than a week ago by his mother who, according to French and African media, wanted him to have a better life. Ironically, what they effectively did was make things worse for the poor lad, who was only following instructions and himself dreaming of better things.
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The boy unnamed for legal reasons, was put on a plane to Paris from the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of south-east Africa, more than a week ago by his mother who, according to French and African media, wanted him to have a better life. Ironically, what they effectively did was make things worse for the poor lad, who was only following instructions and himself dreaming of better things.
The French appeal court decided he must be held in the waiting area for his own protection.
But Catherine Daoud, a child protection lawyer, told French radio: “The imprisoning of children in the [airport] waiting area, especially young children like this, is against the international convention on child protection signed and ratified by France.”The French interior ministry said on Wednesday that the boy’s mother had asked for the child to be returned to her, but the mother should have contemplated this scenario before crying for his return. Should we sympathize with her? No, only the young boy deserves our sympathy.
But Catherine Daoud, a child protection lawyer, told French radio: “The imprisoning of children in the [airport] waiting area, especially young children like this, is against the international convention on child protection signed and ratified by France.”The French interior ministry said on Wednesday that the boy’s mother had asked for the child to be returned to her, but the mother should have contemplated this scenario before crying for his return. Should we sympathize with her? No, only the young boy deserves our sympathy.
Plans to return the boy back to Comoros, but the process was hampered by the Easter holidays, a ministry spokesman told the UK Guardian newspaper.
“The boy arrived with a borrowed passport and was in an irregular situation in French territory,” she said.
“This was confirmed by the police and he was placed in the waiting area. The judge for liberty and detention decided it was in the boy’s best interest to keep him in the waiting zone until inquiries could be made.
“The French authorities made contact with his family and his mother said she wanted to take this young boy back.
“On 25 March, the court of appeal decided he should remain in the waiting zone until he could be returned.”
She added: “It’s not for the ministry to question legal decisions. Obviously he is being correctly treated and is with someone from the Red Cross [at the airport].
“We want this child to be returned to his country of origin as his mother has requested, but accompanied this time.”
“This was confirmed by the police and he was placed in the waiting area. The judge for liberty and detention decided it was in the boy’s best interest to keep him in the waiting zone until inquiries could be made.
“The French authorities made contact with his family and his mother said she wanted to take this young boy back.
“On 25 March, the court of appeal decided he should remain in the waiting zone until he could be returned.”
She added: “It’s not for the ministry to question legal decisions. Obviously he is being correctly treated and is with someone from the Red Cross [at the airport].
“We want this child to be returned to his country of origin as his mother has requested, but accompanied this time.”
Plans are underway to return the boy to his parents, but it remains unclear how long the process will be.