Cédric Herrou

Cédric Herrou is a French olive farmer and immigration activist. He became known in France and internationally following his arrests for helping more than 250 migrants cross into France from Italy. Herrou's efforts have been described in the media as the "French Underground railroad".[1][2] After numerous convictions for assisting migrants to cross the border, Herrou's actions were found to be legal by the French Constitutional Council, which found Herrou's actions to be covered under the constitutional exercise of fraternity to others.

Life

Herrou was born in 1979 in Nice, France and is an olive farmer in the area of Breil-sur-Roya.[3][4][5][6]

In 2015, Herrou began regularly crossing the French-Italian border near his farm to offer assistance to refugees wishing to enter France.[7] He has been arrested several times for doing this.[1]

Arrests and prosecution

In August 2016, Herrou was arrested while transporting eight migrants in his van across the Italian-French border.[8] After concluding that Herrou's intent was humanitarian, the French prosecutor in Nice declined to press charges.[1]

On October 20, 2016, Herrou was arrested after he and three other activists occupied the former SNCF railway station Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende, near Tende, France. Herrou was assisting fifty migrants, principally from Eritrea and the Sudan, to cross into France from the Italian city of Ventimiglia and housing them at the disused railway station.[9][8][10][11] The prosecutor, who called Herrou's actions "noble", requested an eight-month suspended sentence.[12] The actual sentence is expected to be handed down by the court on February 10, 2017.[13][14]

On January 18, 2017 Herrou was taken into custody by local police, with his brother and one other person, for assisting three Eritrean migrants in crossing the border into France.[15][16] They were released on January 20 without charges being filed.[16]

On 10 February 2017, a trial court in Nice convicted Herrou for aiding illegal arrivals and of fined him €3,000.[17]

On July 6, 2018, the French Constitutional Council ruled that Herrou's actions to help migrants were legal, since the principle of fraternity in the French constitution specifically "confers the freedom to help others, for humanitarian purposes, regardless of the legality of their presence on national territory."[18][19][20]

On May 13, 2020, the Appeals Court of Lyon voided all charges against Herrou.[21]

Public reaction

Herrou's actions raised the interest of the French public. Arriving for his trial in January 2017 in Nice, he was met by the applause of hundreds of members of the public who supported his actions as well as some who did not.[22][12] That same month, an editorial addressing Herrou as well as the issues raised by his actions was published by the editorial board of The New York Times.[23]

References
  1. Nossiter, Adam (2016-10-04). "A French Underground Railroad, Moving African Migrants". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  2. Stampler, Laura (2016-10-05). "France's Underground Railroad Helps African Migrants". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  3. Morvan, Vincent-Xavier (2017-01-04). "Jugé pour avoir aidé des migrants, il revendique son acte". Le Figaro. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  4. "Sur la route avec un agriculteur qui fait traverser la frontière italienne à des migrants". Le Monde. 2016-10-14. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  5. Nossiter, Adam (2017-01-19). "When Journalism Meets Civil Disobedience". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  6. Phillips, Charlie; Poulton, Lindsay; Wolff, Spencer. "The valley rebels: the French farmer helping refugees cross Europe – video".
  7. Urbach, Émilien (2017-01-04). "Cédric Herrou: " C'est l'État qui est dans l'illégalité, pas moi "". L'Humanité. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  8. Bell, Melissa; Smith-Spark, Laura (2017-01-05). "French farmer on trial for helping migrants: 'My job is feeding people'". CNN. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  9. "French farmer on trial for helping migrants across Italian border". The Guardian. 2017-01-04. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  10. "Nice: Cédric Herrou jugé pour avoir aidé des migrants". France Soir. 2017-01-04. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  11. Dodman, Benjamin; Chebil, Mehdi (2017-01-04). "French farmer's trial puts rebel valley helping migrants in spotlight". france24.com. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  12. Nossiter, Adam (2017-01-05). "Farmer on Trial Defends Smuggling Migrants: 'I Am a Frenchman.'". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  13. "Il avait aidé des migrants : huit mois de prison requis, à Nice, contre Cédric Herrou". Le Parisien. 2017-01-04. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  14. Sifaule, Adéle (2017-01-04). "Cédric Herrou, le procès d'un geste d'humanité". Liberation.fr.
  15. "Aide aux migrants: Cédric Herrou replacé en garde à vue". L'express. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  16. "Aide aux migrants : Cédric Herrou sort de sa nouvelle garde à vue sans poursuites". Le Monde. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  17. "Farmer given suspended €3,000 fine for helping migrants enter France". The Guardian. 10 February 2017.
  18. "'Fraternité' Brings Immunity for Migrant Advocate in France".
  19. NEXINT (6 July 2018). "Conseil Constitutionnel". www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr.
  20. Jacobs, Josh; Schechner, Sam (6 July 2018). "French Court Rules in Favor of Humanitarian Aid to Illegal Migrants" – via www.wsj.com.
  21. "French court scraps farmer's conviction for helping migrants cross border". The Guardian. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  22. Quioc, Margaid (2017-01-04). "French farmer faces risk of prison for helping migrants". SF Chronicle. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  23. Editorial Board (2017-01-17). "French Fraternity and Migrants". New York Times. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
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