ABSTRACT

The Aubervilliers tragedy in which five Malian workers died because of asphyxiation in January of 1970 in a suburban town outside of Paris became a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over immigration to France. This event prompted the involvement of political organizations and well-known individuals, including Jean-Paul Sartre, while also sparking attempts at social reforms in the realm of housing for West African immigrants, particularly at the local level. This chapter explores the Aubervilliers tragedy from several perspectives, including the conditions that caused the deaths, the city of Aubervilliers’ response, and the political groups that became involved.