On Wednesday, police in Paris removed a group of homeless migrants living in front of the city hall as the French capital prepares to host the Olympics in July, according to the Associated Press.
The news agency reported that the dawn raid removed about 50 people, mostly women and children, who had been living in the area for some time. The individuals and their belongings were loaded onto waiting buses to be transported to government subsidized housing in the town of Besançon.
The article described the relocated as mainly being from former French colonies in Africa.
Local aid workers were said to be concerned that the action is an effort by city authorities to make the municipality more tourist-friendly for the upcoming summer games.
One member of the aid organization Utopia 56, described the incident to the AP as “nothing short of social cleansing of the city.”
The Olympic competition is scheduled to begin on July 26.
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