Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

In 1938, Camp de Rivesaltes Camp Joffre, a few kilometres from Perpignan, was established as a military camp.

In 1939, at the start of World War II, Rivesaltes became a military transit base.
In 1940, Rivesaltes became a refuge for Spanish refugees fleeing the Franco dictatorship.

After the German invasion in 1940, la Cimade was active in underground work that provided protection for Jews in France.
By December, 1940, la Cimade was present in internment camps in the South of France, such as Gurs, Rivesaltes and Milles.
The organization opened refugee centres, such as Côteau fleuri, near Chambon sur Lignon.

On January 14, 1941, the first internees, more than half of whom were from Spain. and a third were Jewish refugees from other countries, arrived at the Rivesaltes "accommodation center" for families.

On August 26, 1942, 05:00AM, operations to collect Jews Aliens of the southern zone and ‘Centre national de rassemblement des Israélites’ of Rivesaltes were started.

Camp de Rivesaltes played the role of Drancy in the free zone.
In 1942, 2,251 Jews, including 110 children, were transferred from Rivesaltes, via the Drancy internment camp, to Auschwitz.
Convoys to Drancy in 1942:
* August 11, 400 people
* August 23, 175 people
* September 1, 173 people
* September 4, 621 people
* September 14, 594 people
* September 21, 72 people
* September 28, 70 people
* October 5, 101 people
* October 20, 107 people

In November 1942, having invaded the South zone, German troops moved to Camp Joffre Rivesaltes.

On August 19, 1944, The German army left Camp Joffre Rivesaltes.