Friday evening, December 24, Hagler entered the Saint-Bernard shelter with a smile, in the heart of the popular Goutte-d’or district in Paris. His name is written on a white gift box, placed on the table in front of him. After inspection, the young Congolese from Kinshasa opens it delicately and discovers the contents: a scarf, socks, a warm cap, a deck of cards and chocolate truffles. At the bottom is a small map: “Merry Christmas, from Isabelle. “
Hagler is one of six migrants housed during the winter period by the parish community of Saint-Bernard Church. Like every year, the shelter welcomes people of different religions and nationalities. Afghan, Syrian, Congolese, Guinean, Sudanese and Senegalese this winter. They were all sleeping in the street.
“Gifts offered by Scout families”
French lessons, distribution of clothing and food… Solidarity with the most disadvantaged is fundamental at Saint-Bernard Church. It is one of two churches in France managed by Scalabrinian missionaries, from the clerical congregation whose mission is to accompany migrants since the end of the 19th century.e century. In 1996, the church was made famous by the occupation of 300 undocumented migrants asking for their regularization.
In front of the church, six roommates share a room to sleep, a kitchen and toilets. Due to the pandemic, no Christmas dinner at church this year. Corn “Gifts were given by scout families”, says Laure, resident of the neighborhood and responsible for the shelter. It helps exiles in their requests for regularization. Like Camara, who struggles to regularize his situation despite training and internships in companies achieved over the past five years in France. « The prefecture does not believe in my story ”, sighs the young Guinean.
On his cell phone, Shafiullah shows his asylum request rejected by the prefecture, the Dublin regulations requiring him to return to Austria, the first country to have welcomed him on his long journey to France from his native Afghanistan. « I only stayed three days in Austria, I don’t want to live there » , he explains in hesitant English. The almost 30-year-old left Nangarhar province in August. “The Taliban killed my brother, my family is still there. “
“A house for you”
Arrived in Paris two months ago, he slept under the bridges at thein Villette before meeting the Scalabrinian missionaries. He plans to stay in France to study and then work. “I was in the third year of law at university. I want to learn French, start my life over and have my wife and five children join me. “ In the meantime, he says he is very grateful for the help he receives: « I will never forget and always respect your country » , he slips to Laure, who replies: “Here, it will always be a home for you. »
In front of the shelter, in the church, a lady admires the Christmas crib. Françoise, « senior » self-proclaimed, has always lived in the neighborhood and frequented Saint-Bernard. She is proud of it: “Christmas is sharing, the hope of a better tomorrow. It is charity, to be more attentive to the people around us. Christ himself lived in a manger. Christmas is also humility. “
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