Increased drug-related violence in France has led several cities, including Nîmes and Béziers, to impose curfews on minors to protect them from potential harm. Despite these measures, violence continues to persist, prompting calls for additional police resources.
French Cities Enforce Night Curfews for Minors Amid Rising Drug Violence
French Cities Enforce Night Curfews for Minors Amid Rising Drug Violence
A series of nighttime curfews for children under 16 has been implemented in various French cities to combat escalating violence tied to drug trafficking.
Authorities across multiple French cities are taking significant steps to combat a recent surge in violence associated with drug trafficking, culminating in curfews for minors. Nîmes, located in the south of France, is the latest city to enforce these restrictions, aiming to shield children under the age of 16 from exposure to violence and help contain escalating tensions. The local government plans to bolster police presence in affected areas.
The decision follows a disturbing month marked by several shootings, including a broad daylight incident resulting in one fatality and multiple injuries. Among the alarming events was the discovery of a 19-year-old’s partly burned body at the outskirts of Nîmes. In light of this turmoil, Mayor Jean-Paul Fournier characterized the situation as "untenable," emphasizing that drug traffickers have instigated a “climate of fear and terror” in the city.
The newly proclaimed curfew, which restricts young people from being outside between 9 PM and 6 AM, aims not only to protect minors uninvolved in the drug trade but also to safeguard younger individuals often exploited by traffickers. Deputy Mayor Richard Schieven underscored the protective role of these constraints.
Nearby Béziers has had a curfew for children under 13 since last year and expanded it to those below 15 in specific areas this past March. Mayor Robert Ménard remarked, “No 10-year-old out on the street at 02:00 is up to anything but mischief,” while the city has seen ongoing episodes of violence, including attacks on police officers by masked youths using fireworks.
Similar struggles have emerged in Limoges, where a curfew for minors was enacted during summer holidays. However, after disturbances involving large groups of young people, Mayor Émile Roger Lombertie expressed dissatisfaction with the curfew’s effectiveness, citing the inability to apprehend troublemakers.
Tragically, the grim rise in drug violence is a continuation of distressing trends, notably following the 2021 death of a 10-year-old boy in Nîmes, caught in the crossfire of gang activity. As the scope of drug-related violence broadens beyond its former epicenter in Marseille, Belgium's interior ministry reports that 110 individuals were killed, while over 300 sustained injuries from drug-related incidents in 2024.
Justice Minister Gérard Darmanin and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau have steadfastly advocated for intensified efforts to combat the drug crisis. Recently, they oversaw legislation leading to the establishment of maximum-security prisons, a specialized prosecutorial branch, enhanced investigative powers, and dedicated protections for informants. The authorities have begun transferring dangerous drug traffickers to high-security facilities, aiming to counter the ongoing fallout from escalating violence, which has even infiltrated French prisons through a series of arson and gun attacks attributed to drug gangs retaliating against governmental crackdowns.
