Paris, March 26, 2025 – In a landmark move, French deputy Karine Lebon presented a historic bill at the French National Assembly calling for reparations for the ex-minors from La Réunion known as the “Enfants de la Creuse.” Between 1962 and 1984, thousands of children were taken from La Réunion Island and relocated to mainland France under a state-run policy, many suffering separation, abuse, and lifelong trauma.
The proposal aims to formally recognize these harms and implement measures for reparation—financial compensation, a memory and resource center, and a national day of remembrance. It also positions France to align with Council of Europe Resolution 2533, adopted unanimously in January 2024, which urges member states to address past abuses of children in state care.
The presentation was attended by Minister of State for Overseas Territories Manuel Valls, who reaffirmed his commitment to support the bill, and by Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly, who appeared in a strong gesture of solidarity with the survivors and the initiative.
Survivors such as Marie-Germaine Périgogne, which is also hub director of Justice Initiative France, shared powerful testimonies of forced displacement and years-long battles to reclaim their identity. “Without reparation, there can be no justice,” said Lebon.
The bill is part of a broader European effort led by Justice Initiative and Guido Fluri, President of the eponymous foundation and of Justice Initiative, who successfully advocated for reparations in Switzerland. He brought back a piece of justice to over 12,000 victims through the 2016 Swiss Federal Act on Compensation for Victims of Coercive Measures and Placements.
“It is high time that survivors of abuse across Europe, including the “Enfants de la Creuse”, receive the justice they deserve,” Fluri stated.
If adopted, this legislation would mark a turning point in France’s reckoning with this painful chapter of its past and help fulfill the call of Resolution 2533 for truth, recognition, and reparation.
To the press release: MM France Mars 2025 AN
To read the Resolution 2533: Resolution 2533
