"I saw a gun pointed at my family.". Administrative searches, Micas and restrictions of freedom in France under the pretext of the Olympic Games

Country

France

Title

"I saw a gun pointed at my family.". Administrative searches, Micas and restrictions of freedom in France under the pretext of the Olympic Games

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Year

2024

Publication type

Research evidence/report

Geographical coverage

National

Area/location of interest

Not applicable - national level

Type of Institution

Academic/research institution

Institution

Belgium, Promote (Think Tank), Collective against Islamophobia in Europe (Collectif contre l'islamophobie en Europe - CCIE)

Thematic focus

Discrimination

Groups

Muslims

Key findings

The report reveals a significant increase in the use of individual administrative control and surveillance measures (mesures individuelles de contrôle administratif et de surveillance - MICAS) and home visits during the Summer 2024 Olympic Games period. Between 1 November 2017 and June 2021, 451 MICAS had been issued, compared with 559 MICAS in the summer of 2024 alone (the monthly average has therefore risen from 10-12 MICAS to 140 MICAS). The increase also relates to home visits, rising from 153 in 2023 to 936 in 2024, a 510% rise. The report highlights several new features for MICAS taken during the summer of 2024: they targeted minors, which "marks a sharp break with the principles of protecting children's rights. The report also mentions physical and verbal abuse during administrative searches and checks. In particular, the report points out that the measures target Muslims in particular, as their current religious or cultural practices are systematically reinterpreted through the prism of dangerousness: wearing a qamis or headscarf, ritual prayer, raising a finger to the sky, etc. Similarly, the possession of classical religious works is seen as a sign of religious radicalism.

Methodology (Qualitative/Quantitative and exact type used, questionnaires etc)

The report was drawn up on the basis of an analysis of legal support files and semi-directive interviews. The data collected was anonymised to protect the identity of the people involved, and the interview extracts were validated by the participants after obtaining informed consent.

Sample details and representativeness

The legal files come from the support provided by the Collective against Islamophobia in Europe (Collectif contre l'islamophobie en Europe) between May and December 2024 (around forty). The 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted by Promote. They were conducted with people directly affected by the measures. Participants included people who had undergone both individual administrative control and surveillance measures (mesures individuelles de contrôle administratif et de surveillance - MICAS) and searches, only MICAS, or only searches.

DISCLAIMERThe information presented here is collected under contract by the FRA's research network FRANET. The information and views contained do not necessarily reflect the views or the official position of the FRA.