The immigrant that we have interviewed is named Rémi Raza and he comes from Madagascar. He had to deal with many problems that make him escape quickly his country...

In Madagascar, Rémi was a teacher for 30 years and was responsible for the "secours catholique" for 10 years.One
day,before the national elections, he received a letter from the communists who said that they wanted to integrate him in their party to profit of the "secours catholique's" money.Of course, he refused and since that moment, he started to be persecuted.

THE WAY HE WAS PERSECUTED...

First, he had to walk for three days in dangerous mountains to bring exam papers in remote villages. He always had risks to die because this part of the country was full of thiefs.This job was really to try to get rid of him and above all very useless because it would be faster and easier to go to by car. After those horrible travels, he found a lot of letter which explained that if he refused to accept to cooperate in this affair he would be killed. He
was even summoned at the police station where he was tortured on an electric chair,in the aim that he would accept.Finally,after four years of persecutions, with
his wife he decided that it was to dangerous and decided to leave Madagascar alone to go to Nantes where his wife and him knew someone.

A SAFER LIFE...

So on the 31th of december, he took a plane to Nantes where he arrived the day after with a tourist passport. He lived three months in his friend's house, with a status of political refugees, in order to find a job and to integrate himself the best as possible. While he was living in a very small flat, he met a lot of persons who tried to help him for a lot of things.For exemple to look for a job, or to find a home, but besides to reassure him. His first idea was to bring his family back to France. So Michel Romefort (Claire's grandfather) helped him with "St Vincent de Paul" to pay three plane tickets. Finally on the 29th January 1992, his wife,his son and his handicaped daughter arrived in Nantes.Then, in December 2001,he succeeded in bringing back one of his other children,who was hidden in the plane among a group of singers.
However, Remi couldn't manage to find an important job.He worked for the town council or for persons who needed a gardener....But last year, after a lot of small jobs, he had enough money to buy his own house in Sainte Luce and to live comfortably. However the problem of the persection is not resolved yet because the rest of his family are still persecuted, and one of his children died poisoned in a bar, four months ago. As he was chatting with an other naughty man, someone put a poison in his glass.

When we ask Rémi if he had sudden racist discriminations since he arrived in France, he tries to remember but he can't find anything. He says that he has been welcomed very well and that a lot of persons helped him to rebuild his life. He wants to thank all of them because they were very important for him and they still are,too. Moreover, he very appreciate the fact that many people and associations helped him integrate his handicaped daughter.

"If today, I'm the way I am , it's thanks to them!"said Rémi with a large smile. Even, he misses his family a lot, he doesn't regret anything and he is really conscious of the risks that he would take if he tried to go back to Madagascar.

He conclued this interview by saying with a large and profound smile:

"Now,France is my country!"

WHAT'S IS THE SECOURS CATHOLIQUE?

This association was created in 1946, by cardinals and it is managed by Monseigneur Jean Rodhain. It has been recognized an important help for the society in 1962. Now, it is composed by 77.359 volontaries in France.It is making 655 operations in all the world for persons who are victims of starvation, earthquakes,or ethnic conflics.

WHAT ABOUT MADAGASCAR?

Madagascar is a big island in the Indian ocean, close to Africa. Even if it doesn't seem to it is as big as France and Belgium together!!! It is crossed by the Capricorn's tropic. It last roughly 12 hours to go to Madagascar by plane from Paris, it means nearly 9 000 kilometres. It is long of 1500 Km from north to south, and 500 km from ouest to east. There are more or less 13 millions of inhabitants. Its capital is Antananarivo (the town where Rémi lived).

Aurore, Claire, Charlotte