FRANCE: Funding for social support association withdrawn due to criticism of government actions
The AREA association, which has been providing comprehensive social support to people living in slums in Montpellier for ten years, announced that it had to end its activities at the end of December 2025. The decision was made due to the full withdrawal of government funding for the association. The defunding stems from the opinions expressed in AREA’s reports and statements, which were viewed as too critical by government departments. In an email, the Departmental Directorate for Employment, Labour and Solidarity (DDETS) openly criticised the association for taking “a critical stance towards institutions for the purpose of continuously improving support for individuals” and being incompatible with state funding after criticising government policies. The end of funding forced the organisation to stop its operations and left nearly 400 people in precarious situations without support.