Roma families sleep by roadside after camps cleared near Nantes

Dozens of Roma families are preparing to spend another night by the roadside east of Nantes, in western France, after police cleared two informal camps where they had been living.

The eviction took place the previous day, when law enforcement officers moved in to clear the sites, which are sometimes described as slums because of their poor living conditions.

According to local reports, many of the affected families remain in the same area, close to where the camps once stood, with nowhere else to go.

Their continued presence near the cleared sites highlights how evictions often fail to provide displaced families with any alternative housing solution.

The two camps, described as informal settlements, had reportedly housed a significant number of Roma families before the police operation.

Such evictions are not uncommon in France and elsewhere in Europe, where Roma communities frequently live in precarious, unofficial housing due to widespread poverty and social exclusion.

Advocacy groups have long argued that clearing camps without offering long-term housing solutions simply moves the problem elsewhere, rather than solving it.

Local authorities have not yet indicated what steps, if any, will be taken to help the displaced families find stable accommodation.

The situation in Nantes reflects a broader pattern seen across France, where Roma communities often face repeated displacement.

Human rights organisations frequently criticise this cycle, saying that repeated evictions can leave families in a state of prolonged instability.

As of now, the dozens of families near Nantes face an uncertain immediate future, with roadside camping serving as their only option for shelter.

It remains unclear whether local or national authorities plan to intervene with emergency housing or other support in the coming days.