– Gypsies continue to wander “until we are accepted”
In Bussigny, 40 caravans occupied two plots of land in quick succession in one week. Expelled, they left on Tuesday to try their luck at Paléo.
Published: 06/04/2024, 6:51 p.m.
At the beginning of the afternoon, the occupied parking lot in Bussigny had been vacated. The caravan convoy stayed there for barely two days.
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They had arrived in Bussigny without warning last week. They have already left West Lausanne. Empty-handed. At midday on Tuesday, forty caravans of travelers hit the road again to try their luck near Nyon, on the Paléo Festival grounds. This time, the convoy was intercepted on the road before reaching its objective, disrupting traffic in the Asse area.
Contacted in the afternoon, Roxane Faraut, municipal officer in charge of Security in Nyon, summarized the situation. “Negotiations are underway under the aegis of the gendarmerie and the Nyon Region police, but in any case these caravans will not be able to set up on this land. The festival will start setting up there in a week.” The elected official adds that the Municipality has no other space to make available. The message is therefore clear. The caravans will have to look elsewhere. “Traffic has been diverted. We have time,” says the elected official.
Flight forward
Arriving in March in the canton of Vaud, the caravans from Nyon have continued to wander from commune to commune. But their zigzags seem to be accelerating. Less than ten days ago, they were asked to leave Avenches, where they were able to stay for a while. They then settled in Mézières, but for barely three days. Under an eviction order, they moved last week to Bussigny, forcing access to vacant land. Once again ordered to leave, they complied, once again.
They did not go very far, since they settled on Sunday in a parking lot, still in Bussigny, near the highway. This last attempt did not last long either, the owner having demanded the departure of the camp. Set for Tuesday 2 p.m., the ultimatum was respected. At the appointed time, only a few caravans remained.
A few hours before departure from Bussigny, a man we met there explained this game of cat and mouse: “If we have to leave one area after four days, find another place and start again, we will do it, until we are accepted. We do not have a choice.” He thus ensures that the community respects the eviction orders, as soon as they are clearly notified to them, while taking advice from a lawyer.
He does not hide the fact that this year, the situation is particularly tense for his community. “In the canton, there are around fifty more caravans than usual,” he analyzes. But the authorities need to find a place for us. We are willing to compromise, such as splitting convoys to be smaller. On the other hand, we keep being told to settle in La Chaux-de-Fonds. We won’t do it. We have work here. It is too far.”
Canton mediator for travelers, Laurent Curchod responds with an observation: “There are nearly 200 caravans on Vaud soil and it is not bearable. There is real saturation. No longer any municipality is ready to make land available.”
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Chloe Din has been a journalist in the Vaud & Régions section since 2015. She covers in particular the West Lausanne district as well as religious and spiritual themes.More informations
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