"The photos are terrible. In his bed at the North Hospital, a young 22-year-old boy, Florenc Beqiraj, lying in a state of clinical death... ", in this way starts the article of "Provence.com" yesterday relating the young man from Shkodra who lost his life in France.
Four days ago, the Albanian citizen was found hanged on a rope in an Administrative Detention Center (ADC) in Canet, Marseille, where he was detained since November 27 after the police found him without documents. He was expecting his expulsion in Albania. He passed away Friday afternoon without regaining consciousness.
Florenc Beqiraj lived for 19 months in Marseille, where he worked as a seller.Today, (yesterday) neither his boss, nor his companions, nor his family, do not trust the theory of suicide. "Florenc was happy to see his family at Christmas," says one of his relatives. He was not afraid to be expelled, he knew he could return to France. "He even abandoned his request for review of his asylum application, as he wanted to return to Albania as soon as possible."
The Forum réfugiés-Cosi Association, which offers to ADC legal support, confirms it: "On 11 December, he expressed his pleasure to leave the center, his departure was announced on December 15." Why hi would kill himself just 24 hours before returning to his family, which was already waiting for him in Albania?
48 hours before the tragedy, Florenc had stated that he was "threatened" by an inmate; the administration changed the room to remove Florenc from him." But on December 13, he told his boss that he was afraid he might die during the night," says one of his friend. On December 14, another inmate found him lifeless.
In the ADC directorate, however, there is no "doubt" that his death was suicide. In any case, the Public Prosecutor's Office will open an investigation and Olivier Rosato, a lawyer of Beqiraj family, will file a complaint against X. "Relatives want to shed light because something is wrong in this case," he said.
"People here are in a state of psychological fragility, weakness" which Julian Karagueuzian, the Refugee Forum Coordinator, has never "noticed" in other centers in France. Canet is a "pressure cooker", where "isolation conditions" and stress "are worse than those of Baumettes," according to many observers.
"These places are not made to accommodate people for so long," says a letter to La Provence, a man who was detained in Marseilles. This is exactly what the told to the reporters the border police assigned to the CRA.
"The situation is very difficult," says the head of the center, Commander Martine Bonnet. Verbal attacks, death threats against agents are perpetual." "Serious staff problems" to ensure the maintenance of the center, "denies to the people their basic rights," and adds tensions.
Due to lack of space - 40 rooms are out of order - former convicts and undocumented people find themselves deceived and anxious.