She did not strike the headlines in the Burundian media, but she created a stir in a Parisian suburb. This is the tale of a demo that took place in France. A Burundian was mistreated for far more than 10 years…by Burundians. Thankfully, French justice received wind of the case. From Muyinga to Ville-d’Avray, Méthode Sindayigaya has seen all the hues. Just after a trial that held France in suspense, he is having fun with pleased times these days with his relatives.
Sindayigaya process originates from Muyinga. A farmer by trade, he lived a quiet lifetime with his spouse and two kids till 2007. One high-quality working day, a mate of the relatives built him an supply that couple of Burundians would refuse: to go and do the job in France. We are not exaggerating, for a place which has 65% unemployment, if we can have a job, even in Bujumbura, we go there with our eyes closed. Technique, he is provided a work in Europe, it truly is a discount that must not be missed. What is actually extra, he will have Burundians as bosses. No far more have to have to learn the language at superior pace, no far more will need for difficult and complicated integration into the European doing work environment. He seizes the prospect. And below he is in Ville-d’Avray.
The Commencing of Calvary
Approach was to go to get the job done in France on behalf of the Mpozagara relatives. The latter is a former minister of justice and previous formal of Unesco, settled in France for a prolonged time. The months will final 10 extended years without the need of Technique having viewed, once, his relatives that he had still left in Muyinga. From 2008 to 2018, Méthode is contracted to ” to work “ for the Mpozagara family members. Compelled, since his passport will be confiscated and he will be diminished to a slave. Releasea French newspaper that adopted the situation, noted Methode’s remarks in court docket: “I was lowered to slavery, he states modestly at the bar. They gave me at greatest 50 or 100 (a single thousand) Burundian francs each and every two months, which corresponds roughly to 20 euros. At dwelling, at least, I grew vegetables, I experienced a wife, and two little ones. I left to get the job done for 3 months in France, and I stayed there for 10 years”.
The result
Liberation reports that in total, the Mpozagara loved ones paid Strategy 5.7 million Fbu above the 10 yrs he expended in their service, which is equal to 225 Euros for each yr (i.e. 787,500 Fbu per 12 months or 65,625 Fbu for each thirty day period), an unacceptable income in a place where by the Smig (Confirmed interprofessional bare minimum wage) is 1498.47 Euros (5,244,645 Fbu) for every thirty day period in June 2018. In addition to this derisory income, Méthode was a guy to do everything: cook, clean up the household and previously mentioned all take care of a kid from the Mpozagara family who was autistic. Worse however, it appears that Methode experienced to kneel down to greet the associates of the Mpozagara relatives. The French police were notified by a neighbor and staff who experienced appear to do the fix perform that there was a guy locked up in the Mpozagara relatives estate, and the judicial phase could get started.
to the barre
“In October 2019, they (the Mpozagaras) have been provided a two-calendar year suspended prison sentence and 70,000 euros in damages by the Nanterre Prison Court”, Liberation experiences. The Versailles Courtroom of Appeal verified the sentence of the 1st instance and sentenced them to the same prison phrase. They were being accused of 3 counts, namely: “trafficking in human beings, hid function and aiding illegal entry and stay”. This court also condemned the Mpozagara pair to pay damages and pursuits Process of 50 thousand Euros for violation of dignity and 20 thousand Euros as payment for the psychological injury that Process suffered by not observing Léoncie, his spouse, Sandrine and Patrick his two youngsters for additional than 10 years. Civil proceedings have also been initiated to declare wages, the sum of which has been approximated at 528 000 Euros (1,848,000,000 Fbu) by Urssaf (Union for the collection of social protection contributions and loved ones allowances) which have not been paid to Strategy all this time.
background
Candide and Gabriel Mpozagara were not their first convictions. They experienced presently been sentenced in 2007 in France but released on appeal in a very similar situation which concerned two nieces from Burundi, as we browse in the columns of the newspaper Le Citoyen on March 28, 2021. The Mpozagara have been ordered to pay out 30 thousand Euros to Chantal and her sister, their nieces whom they had brought from Burundi, for possessing exploited them between 1994 and 1998 as servants with out spending them. That also, we discovered on the web-site of the newspaper Liberation in its publication of February 18, 2021.
These days, Méthode nevertheless lives in France wherever he obtained refugee standing. His loved ones joined him in 2019.
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