Communist Party councillors elected to the Council of Paris have demanded that part of the Bois de Boulogne park be allocated for asylum seekers to set up a new shelter, with the support of Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
The Communist Party councillors have asked for a part of the park, the former hunting grounds of French kings, be allocated for the use of migrants as the number of new arrivals continues to grow, Le Figaro reports.
The site proposed for the project encompasses almost ten acres and is located near the Longchamp racecourse.
It is not the first time the park has been suggested as a place to house the city’s growing migrant population, many of whom are squatting in makeshift tent camps across the city. The proposal was previously rejected due to the distance of the site to the nearest public transportation.
Jean-Noël Aqua, a Communist adviser, said: “It would be nice if the whole territory, including the west of Paris, contributes to the effort of welcoming migrant people.”
The makeshift migrant camps in Paris have grown dramatically in recent weeks, with some estimating that as many as 550 migrants arrive in the French capital each week.
The camps have also led to problems in the city with young Moroccan street gangs harassing locals in certain areas and being blamed for thefts.
Last month, 1,600 Paris residents in the areas of La Chapelle, Goutte-d’Or, and Barbès demanded the government act to curb the growing criminality.
Earlier this week, the Grand Paris Run was cancelled as a major migrant camp had been established on the route the race was supposed to run through.