Throughout France, the local representatives of the Defender of Rights noted how relations with dematerialized public services can weaken the most vulnerable, deplores a long survey by Le Monde.
“ While dematerialization has made it easier for a certain number of users to take steps, it has become an obstacle to access to rights for others, causing a real dehumanization of the public service, a loss of social ties “, notes the Defender of Rights, Claire Hédon.
” Closure of counters, complex telephone servers, massive use of the Internet for requests and disputes leave a good number of citizens behind, starting with the most vulnerable: the elderly, the precarious without computers or smartphones, people not used to using platforms, residents of “white areas” “…
In the few 870 Defense reception points ur spread over the whole of the territory, 550 people, all volunteers, are in charge of welcoming all those who are struggling to assert their rights.
Alain Mignot, one of them, enraged: “ Everything now goes through computers. Isn’t there a human being behind this machinery? People are prisoners of computers, they cannot find interlocutors, find themselves overwhelmed by deadlines. In 2018, there were still agents to receive them, now there is no one. »
The Covid – 19 has not helped, with the counters closed for months, including some never even reopened. Henri, a Gabonese student, has just received his residence permit dated… 20 November 2020. “ It is only valid for one month, and there are no appointments available at the prefecture of Vienne! “, he panicked.
” We are paying for years of reduced public spending, with fewer and fewer posts , increasingly complex procedures and increasing demands , ”he believes. “ Our agents feel a lot of anger, confirms Claire Hédon. They see people in tears, exhausted. We play the public service role of public services, but we cannot be the only physical gateway. We must put people back in our big house that is France. “
