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Testimonial

France: “They make me panic”

Samy has recently been transferred from a semi-custodial facility to the “new arrivals” unit of Mans detention centre

Samy has chronic bronchitis. Due to a lack of care units, he has recently been transferred from a semi-custodial facility to the “new arrivals” unit of Mans detention centre. He recounts his detention conditions.

I stayed shut in my cell so as not to catch the virus.

At the semi-custodial facility, I panicked and asked to be treated. The prison staff didn’t want to sendSOS Médecins so I dialled 15 (SAMU: Service d’Aide Médicale Urgente [Urgent Medical Emergency Service]) who called the prison. It must be said, the semi-custodial facility is inadequate in terms of care. The sports hall was never disinfected. It was used by those who left the facility for work, so could have been carriers of the virus. I stopped going there. I stayed shut in my cell so as not to catch the virus.

I’m now in the arrivals section of the detention centre. I was returned to custody as I required “special care”. New people arrive every day. They are not tested. Everyone uses the one euro coin they are given upon arrival in the telephone box , so the guys use the telephone and touch everything, without being tested. Nothing is ever disinfected.

I no longer leave my cell.

“Nothing is done”

What if I got a pneumothorax there? I got hold of my medical certificates and I’m going to lodge a complaint against everyone. I’ve got one which has “risk of pneumothorax relapse” written on it. Left unattended with a pneumothorax, in 20-30 minutes, you’ll die. I’ve had it three times. I’ve got a lung which has been reattached. I’m suffering from respiratory distress. I asked to be tested. If I suffer from respiratory distress here, they’ll leave me and I’ll die. There is no one to help me.

Nothing is done! They don’t test anyone. You have to show symptoms, even though healthy people can be carriers… they tested three people yesterday. In the end, they tested negative. They had a fever. I was panicking. I no longer leave my cell.

During exercise, 20-25 people go out at one time, even though you’re not meant to be in groups. The detainees don’t have gloves or masks. The prison warders only got theirs yesterday. Here the auxis1 work without masks or gloves. They give us our food like that, knowing that they’re in contact with the new arrivals. I don’t even take the food bowl. I daren’t. They make me panic.

  1. The prison auxiliaries, so-called “auxis”, are employed by the general service and usually do the cleaning and serve food. ↩

By Camille Grange

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