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  • Jan 5th, 2017
  • Comments Off on French farmer in the dock for aiding migrants
French farmer, who has become a folk hero for helping African migrants slip across the border from Italy and giving them shelter, went on trial Wednesday for aiding illegal arrivals. Cedric Herrou, 37, is one of three people to appear before the courts in southern France for assisting migrants fleeing war, poverty and persecution to Europe.

Accused of "helping undocumented foreigners enter, move about and reside in" France, he risks up to five years in prison and a 30,000-euro ($31,300) fine if convicted. Herrou's olive farm sits in a valley on the border of France and Italy, near a popular route for migrants trying to slip past French border controls. He has been unapologetic about helping migrants travelling up through Europe after crossing the Mediterranean in rickety boats that regularly sink.

"If we have to break the law to help people, let's do it!" he told supporters outside the Nice courthouse on Wednesday, where a crowd of around 300 people gathered. "Our role is to help people overcome danger, and the danger is this border," he said, accusing French police of detaining "thousands" of minors and dumping them back across the border. In October, Herrou led a group of activists who occupied a disused holiday village belonging to state railway company SNCF and opened it up to a group of migrants. Police intervened after three days to evacuate the makeshift camp, arresting Herrou. Two months earlier, he had been arrested for trying to smuggle eight Eritrean migrants by car from Italy into France.



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