• 18/07/2022
• By binternet
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"Business is business": how the president of an association operated hundreds of migrants<

Three members of the Vies de Paris association, which helps migrants, were tried for "human trafficking" this Friday.Victims have reported unworthy working conditions.

"You have never met God, say hello, he's there in front of you."From Ronald Désir, the founder and president of the Ile -de -France association of help for migrants from Paris, Isabelle retains the image of a "guru"."He had an attitude as a dictator", exclaims this former volunteer, mother of four children, to discuss the one who is tried this Friday by the Paris Criminal Court for "Human Treatment", "Hidden work" and "Employmenta foreigner without working title ".

Isabelle was a volunteer for a few months in this association which offers domiciliation for undocumented and training."For me, we helped people without paper, charitable purpose," she testifies in front of a room full to crack.However, it was she, with Stéphanie, another volunteer, who denounced the first the questionable practices implemented within the association.Practices, against a background of administrative, economic precariousness but also insults and humiliations, revealed in the 383 pages of the labor inspectorate report which sparked the origin of a survey of the Paris prosecutor's office.

"For me, it was my boss"

The affair of Paris lives is a grip of grip.Undocumented undocumented assistance to obtain a visa, undocumented migrants in need which were ready to work more than 10 hours a day, six or even seven days a week, without leave, without absence, all in acontext of humiliation, for a few hundred euros."The gratuity created a dependence, it is the means allowing dependence, argues the central committee for the fight against slavery. They would not have been paid, they would not have worked like that."Very often volunteers worked to repay the debt taken out with the association by attending its training courses.

Abdel has a training as a computer scientist.When he passes the door of the association, recommended by an knowledge, he seeks help for a domiciliation, that is to say an address where to receive his mail within the framework of his administrative procedures.Ronald Désir marks him and offers him to become a volunteer.He signs a commitment contract.

This undocumented undocumented one, now regularized, will work for six months six days a week, "sometimes on Sunday too".In six months, he had no day off, no stop, even sick he came to work."He sent me a message, I had to go," he summarizes.Abdel moved to several sites in the association, in Aubervilliers, Plaisance and Malakoff.Cry, they often heard from Ronald Désir.Blimades also when, in an exchange by SMS read by the court, we read that the president of the association asked him to "bring his ass".

More than 12 hours of work per day

The gratuities ranged from 200 to 1o00 euros per month.They were variable depending on whether you are a man or a woman.Abdel was paid 500 euros per month.Like Samira, another of the 52 victims formed civil parties, who wished to testify to justice."It was set up at 600 but during confinement, he withdrew me from money," explains the young woman of Moroccan origin, who speaks in a good French.She also describes extended schedules, where she started at 8:45 am to finish at "9 pm to 10 pm, and sometimes even at 3 am".

Ronald Désir had made his association a real business."Business is business," he says in one of his messages read by the Court.A company that worked thanks to the amounts of memberships (45 euros) then by training (up to 1800 euros).A company in which the schedules had to be respected, justify its delays.A company in which the boss changes the schedules of his employees at his convenience.A company in which it is also necessary to request "48 hours in advance" to be absent, subject to acceptance.

In this system, Ronald Désir, according to testimonies, took advantage of the vulnerability of people who come to ask him for help."He said that they are monkeys, that they stink, that they feel the curry, that they came to swim, that they should be happy," recalls Stéphanie, the other volunteer of French nationality whoalerted the labor inspectorate.In Abdel, he had found him accommodation and promised to help him for his regularization.

Blackmail

In Samira, he spoke of his "relations" within the prefecture which could advance his visa request.Relations that could also, he said, allow her to send "police trucks" in front of her home when she opposed him.

A blackmail situation to obtain a volunteer certificate which, according to him, would allow the obtaining of papers, had thus been set up within the association.Two other members of the structure, considered as the straight arms of Ronald Désir, also appear for "human trafficking".

The audience, which was to end this Friday, was interrupted.Lack of time to complete the debates within "reasonable deadlines", the criminal court decided to extend them on February 11.