Deported kids fight back
The week's news at a glance.
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Road trip: New England’s maple syrup season
Feature New England is serving up maple syrup in delicious and unexpected ways
By The Week US Published
-
Music Reviews: Mdou Moctar, Panda Bear, and Tate McRae
Feature “Tears of Injustice,” “Sinister Grift,” and “So Close to What”
By The Week US Published
-
What's at stake in the Mahmoud Khalil deportation fight?
Talking Points Vague accusations and First Amendment concerns
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published