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The Arenc affair began on April 16, 1975 in Marseille, France, when attorney Sixte Ugolini publicly condemned the police's kidnapping of his client, Mohamed Chérif, a Moroccan citizen with legal status. Shortly thereafter, the general public discovered a dormant warehouse located in the port of Arenc that had been covertly used by the prefecture to detain non-nationals (primarily Algerians) awaiting deportation for more than a decade, outside of any established legal framework. The affair foreshadowed the establishment of administrative detention centers, which were brought into law in October 1981. Background Attempt to curtail immigration of Algerians By the end of 1962, the French police aimed to restrict Algerian migration to Marseille to prevent a surge of "unemployed, sick, homeless, and socially undesirable masses." Starting April 1963, France circumvented the "free movement" arrangement under the Évian Accords by introducing "health checks" (essentially fitness-for-work assessments), leading to approximately 13% of Algerians being denied entry. While waiting to reboard the ship, individuals denied entry were housed overnight, initially in a hostel located behind the port and later from September 1963 in a 600 m2 facility within the port of Arenc. The facility occupied the second floor of a previously decommissioned warehouse, accessible by only an external metal staircase. This area had previously been used since May 1962 to receive and distribute repatriated Algerians. As the "sanitary" measures proved inadequate in sufficiently controlling immigration, the government revised the principle of free movement through the Nekkache-Grandval agreements of April 1964. These agreements introduced a "tourist" visa and mandated Algerian nationals to possess a residence certificate or an "ONAMO" work permit issued by the Office National de la Main-d'Œuvre. A classified clause, as identified by sociologist Alexis Spire, authorized an initiative to "repatriate the idle"ː"Algerian nationals (...) without employment or resources (...) may be repatriated to Algeria by the French government, unless humanitarian reasons prevent it." The circular issued on April 17, 1964, stipulates that the prefecture is solely responsible for determining the repatriation cases without any possibility of appeal. Arenc warehouse as a clandestine immigration prison The Arenc center, starting from May 1964, was placed under the direct control of the port's specialized police station, and detention, originally reserved only for "non-admitters," was expanded to include people who were being expelled by ministerial order (arrêté ministériel - A.M.). Also, "idle" Algerians who were in the process of being repatriated, according to a prefectoral decision (décision préfectorale - D.P.), were also included. On July 17, 1964, the Ministry of the Interior notified the Bouches-du-Rhône Prefect regarding the same matterː"As the Algerian nationals in question are not subject to a custodial sentence, it is important that during their stay at the center, surveillance measures are strictly limited to those necessary to prevent their escape [sic]." The hunt for "fake Algerian tourists", followed by a so-called "fight against substandard housing", whose aim was in fact to prevent the arrival of the wives and children of Algerians living in Marseille, led to an increase in the number of expulsions: in 1965, over 11,400 people passed through the Arenc center. By the end of the 1960s, the number of Moroccan, Tunisian, Malian and Senegalese nationals at the center was increasing. Detainees in Arenc are unable to appeal deportation decisions or contact legal counsel. The confinement conditions are quite dire, with rundown facilities and intermittent heating, and the center lacked showers. Meals consisted of two hard-boiled eggs, a ration of cheese, a slice of bread, and a can of sardines, which some inmates have utilized in suicide attempts. Notably, in 1969, a hunger strike was suppressed through the expulsion of the "ringleaders." The premises consisted of three main dormitories: one for "AM/DP" (nationals subject to a ministerial order or prefectoral decision), one for women and children, and another for "non-admis" (rejected upon entry). Additionally, there was a small room designated for solitary confinement. The association Aide aux travailleurs d'outre-mer (ATOM), which has been appointed by the prefecture to manage several social reception centers in Marseille, was responsible for cleaning and laundering the dormitories. According to a press release from the Ministry of the Interior dated April 22, 1975, a total of 3,299 individuals were detained at Arenc in 1974. Detentions of Mohamed Chérif and Saïd Bennia The Arenc affair began with the revelation that the police had taken Mohamed Chérif into custody without his consent. Mohamed Chérif, a Moroccan citizen and supporter of the MTA, was legally residing in Marseille with a valid permit for residency. He worked as a fisherman and had filed a complaint in August 1974, reporting that he was subjected to brutality while on the grounds of the Moroccan consulate. During his civil hearing, an attaché of the consul threatened him with deportation to Morocco. On April 11, 1975, Mohamed Chérif disappeared after attending a meeting at the prefecture. His friends informed Sixte Ugolini, who was in charge of the local syndicat des avocats de France (SAF), about the existence of a clandestine detention center near the Arenc ferry terminal. On April 15, 1975, Saïd Bennia, an Algerian national born in 1956 in Marseille and a client of Sixte Ugolini, was arrested by the police immediately after he was judged free by the court. His parents followed the police van to the entrance of the Arenc prison where he was incarcerated. On April 16, 1975, Sixte Ugolini called a press conference to denounce what he deemed a kidnapping due to the lack of news regarding Mohamed Chérif's appearance before the public prosecutor's office within the legal period of police garde à vue. Journalist Alex Panzani reported that "immigrant circles" were aware of the center's existence while historian Ed Naylor hypothesized that Sixte Ugolini's surprise during the press conference may have been staged as part of a media move. The conference's success ultimately resulted in Mohamed Chérif's immediate release. He was in Sète at the time, with his departure for Morocco impending. Upon his return to Marseille, he informed his lawyer through an interpreter that he had been coerced into signing incomprehensible documents before being confined in a warehouseː"On April 11, I went to the police summons, in an office on the second floor. A policeman called twice, and I recognized the word 'prefecture', which came up a lot. Then he told me: "You're going back to your country. You have to sign this paper. I don't read French. I asked what it meant, but the policeman said, "You have to sign it, it's legal.".... Discover the Alex Lhuilier popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Alex Lhuilier books.