Undocumented Hunger Strikers Fight for Papers

LILLE, FRANCE, January 12 — Today some 200 supporters rallied to back the 71-day hunger strike by 41 undocumented workers who represent the demands of 161 of their sisters and brothers for work papers for all. The action of these immigrant workers has exposed the utter disregard of the working class by the racist, “lesser-evil” Socialist government which has refused to issue these papers. More support has come from other undocumented workers who occupied the royal cathedral in Saint Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, on January 9. The strikers initially occupied the Fives-Lille Protestant church but were evicted. Since then, about 40 have lived in a tent in front of Saint Maurice’s church in downtown Lille.
The racist Lille prefecture (the central government’s local representative) has hypocritically blamed the victims, mainly Algerian but also Guinean and Thai workers, for the processing delay, saying only five workers have filed “proper” requests for papers. But eligibility depends on filing eight pay stubs which is impossible since they have been working in the underground economy and therefore lack such proof.
It’s the nature of capitalism which establishes national borders — mostly through wars with rivals — and then uses nationality as a weapon to divide and exploit workers. And President François Hollande’s Socialist government, which enforces this profit system, uses this weapon to help maintain that system. That’s why Progressive Labor Party champions the slogan “Smash All Borders!” and destruction of the system that creates them.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls said, “We aren’t going to legalize 50, 100, 200, or 300 requests for papers because associations have engaged in an action.” This is the same racist who as mayor of Evry in June 2009 complained that there were too many “non-whites” selling things at the local flea market.
The prefecture demands that the group, the “Collectif des sans-papiers du 59,” constitute itself as a legal entity as a precondition for continued negotiations. A member of the Socialist Party first secretary Harlem Désir’s inner circle said, “The party totally supports the government’s immigration policy.”
Meanwhile, the hunger strikers’ condition worsens. Their number has fallen from 126 to 28. Three have been hospitalized. Two Algerian workers were deported after striking for 60 days. The undocumented workers have been drinking sugar water daily, and are now taking vitamins intravenously. One worker explained that he “was experiencing abdominal pain, lost a lot of hair and my teeth were crumbling. I lost 33 pounds in 49 days.” Others have developed similar symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhea. “The health of many was already poor due to their living conditions as undocumented workers,” said supporter Gérard Minet.
Nutritionists find it incredible that they’ve held out for over two months. One said, “You can’t be certain that there won’t be consequences afterwards. Beyond two and a half months, you’re in danger of dying.”
But the fact is capitalists don’t care if these workers die. (UK’s infamous Margaret Thatcher refusal to negotiate with imprisoned IRA hunger strikers led to the starvation deaths of ten of them.) After all, their imperialist wars kill tens of millions. And their disregard for the health and safety of factory workers in the name of profits is all too well known, as the recent murder of garment workers in Bangladesh in fires in buildings with locked exits vividly illustrates.
We fully support the aspirations of these undocumented workers and understand that hunger strikes call attention to the system’s oppression. But given capitalism’s view of workers as commodities to be exploited and then tossed on the scrap heap when they no longer can produce profit, hunger strikes are very limited in their ability to alleviate workers’ suffering.
Workers must support the demands of these undocumented sisters and brothers but must also recognize that only the complete destruction of the system that creates these conditions and divisions can end this oppression. That’s what the goal of communist revolution is all about.

LATE BULLETIN — January 14 — The Lille undocumented workers ended their 73-day hunger strike yesterday following proposals made by the prefecture. Nine were granted papers and seven others’ papers were in the works. One worker, Alouache, who had filed his request a year ago, said, “We will go for a health check-up. This is what we have to do to get papers.”