France to pay $65 million to Holocaust victims deported by state rail firm

France has agreed to pay the United States $A65 million to compensate foreigners deported to Nazi death camps on French rail transport during World War II, diplomats say.

A picture taken in May 1941 showing foreign Jews, mainly Polish Jews, getting off the train in Pithiviers, center France. (File: Getty)

A picture taken in May 1941 showing foreign Jews, mainly Polish Jews, getting off the train in Pithiviers, center France. (File: Getty)

The agreement, which has been at least two years in the making, should now open the way to allow French rail firm SNCF to bid on major contracts in the US state of Maryland.

Several thousands of people could be eligible for compensation, including nationals from Israel and Canada as well as Americans who were deported from France to the death camps during World War II.

During the occupation of France by Germany, the Nazi regime deported almost 76,000 Jews to concentration camps in French freight cars between 1942 and 1944.
 
Only around 3000 survived.

Maryland lawmakers had demanded that SNCF compensate the victims before being allowed to join a bidding process on a public-private light rail project worth nearly $US3 billion for local projects and introduced bills to that effect.

But the French rail firm had protested that it had no choice as it was simply a "cog in the Nazi extermination machine" and that any eventual compensation should be paid by the French government.

The deal is due to be signed on Monday by US special adviser on Holocaust issues Stuart Eizenstat and French ambassador on human rights Patrizianna Sparacino-Thiellay.

Eizenstat said that under the terms of the "historic" deal Paris would pay a $US60 million lump sum to Washington to compensate the survivors, or their spouses and heirs.

He had no exact figure of how many could be eligible, but said it was expected to run into "several thousand".

Survivors could receive up to $A120,000 ($US100,000) each, while spouses or heirs could several tens of thousands of dollars, he said.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AFP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world