Paris, France

Foreign minors Alpha, Boubacar and Koné have been sleeping rough on the streets of Paris for several months.

15-year old Alpha is from Guinea
I think being alone is the most dangerous. We’ve seen people getting beaten up, but nobody talks about it. That’s what really hurts.

During the winter months, the state is responsible for offering the homeless unconditional accommodation.

16-year old Koné is from Côte d’Ivoire
Sometimes it’s so cold we can’t sleep. We end up staying awake until morning, because we just can’t sleep. It’s miserable.

But, like Alpha, Koné and Boubacar, many foreign minors in France sleep rough during the winter.

16-year old Boubacar is also from Guinea
The first time I saw people sleeping rough was in Europe. I’d never imagined that could happen. Think about it. People die in the Mediterranean to get here. Sleeping in the tent isn’t easy, but I have to.

After two months of sleeping rough, a judge finally ruled that Boubacar
was a minor.

16-year old Koné from Côte d’Ivoire
People ask us, “where do you sleep?” and we say, “on the street”. But it’s dangerous. Minors shouldn’t be sleeping here because there’s a lot going on. There’s lots of police too, and we’re scared of them. Often, we’re in the tent and it’s not that cold, but we’re frightened because it’s dangerous.

Since 2018, MSF has provided 350 unaccompanied minors with shelter and support and found emergency accommodation for over 900 other adolescents.