Muslim Staff in Paris Airport Row

October 27, 2006

Source: BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6070744.stm

Four Muslim baggage handlers are appealing against a decision to bar them from working at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. They say that the local government's decision to revoke their security passes is evidence of anti-Muslim discrimination.

A local government spokesman says the decision was based on an assessment of the terrorist risk. He denied the move was linked to the men's religion.

Lawyers acting for the four men say that dozens of other Muslims who work at the airport have also been stripped of their security passes, leaving them unable to work.

The four men, who are of North African origin, say they were summoned by security officials for interviews concerning their employment in August.

A few days later they were told that their airport passes, which gave them access to the area near runways, were being withdrawn.