Paris
More than a dozen natives of a French Indian Ocean island are suing the French government for resettling them in France. In the 1960s and ’70s, more than 1,500 children, mostly orphans, were moved from the overcrowded island of La Réunion to the underpopulated French province of Creuse. The idea was to provide workers for Creuse and job opportunities for natives. But the children, used to a barefoot existence in a tropical paradise, suffered in the French winters, and most grew depressed. Many were put straight to work on farms and received little education. The government “screwed up very, very badly, and we want them to acknowledge it,” said Simon A-Poi, one of the plaintiffs. His group wants an apology only: The lawsuit asks for just one symbolic euro in damages.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How will the new tax deductions on auto loans work?the explainer Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited
-
Is Trump actually going to prosecute Obama for 'treason'?Today's Big Question Or is this just a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal?
-
5 best movie sequels of all timeThe Week Recommends The second time is only sometimes as good as the first
