French baker hunger strike over trainee facing deportation

The baker is fighting for his apprentice - who arrived from Guinea two years ago aged 16 - to be allowed to stay in France

Joanna York Joanna York

Published Wednesday 13 January 2021 - 12:38 Modified Wednesday 13 January 2021 - 12:38

A baker in Besan莽on began a hunger strike yesterday (January 3) to support his apprentice, who is facing deportation from France.

The apprentice, Laye Fod茅 Traor茅in茅, arrived in France illegally from the Republic of Guinea, aged 16. As he was a minor when he arrived, Mr Traor茅in茅 was able to stay in France, but since turning 18 in April 2020 is now facing deportation.

St茅phane Ravacley, his employer, is going on hunger strike in protest.

He told news source : 鈥淚t鈥檚 not normal that we make a young man who wants to work leave. He has potential and in our profession it鈥檚 so hard to find employees.鈥�

Apprentice has learned French and worked since arrival

Since his arrival in France two years ago, Mr Traor茅in茅 has learned French and begun training to become a baker, enrolling on the CAP bakery course which he is due to complete in June 2021.

He has been working in the boulangerie in Besan莽on for a year and a half, waking up at 3:00 each morning to go to work.

His employer described him as an 鈥渆nthusiastic person who works well鈥� and has confirmed that, if he were allowed to stay, Mr Traor茅in茅 would have work at the boulangerie in Besan莽on for years to come.

Petition also launched

Mr Ravacley has also and in his bakery in support of his apprentice, which currently has over 17,500 signatures.

Contre l'expulsion de Laye notre apprenti boulanger 脿 ses 18 ans. - Signez la p茅tition ! via

鈥� Barat Pierre (@pierrebarat1)

The online petition says Mr Traor茅in茅 has no known family in the Republic of Guinea as he grew up in a care home and left the country for his safety, crossing Mali, Libya and the Mediterranean Sea, before arriving in Italy and taking a train, at random, to France.

Mr Traor茅in茅 was originally supposed to be deported on January 2. A plea in opposition to the order asking him to leave the country has been filed with the administrative courts which will eventually decide his fate.

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