My dad has recently given me this story he found on the internet. Supposed to be a true story, but I don't how much you can trust the liability of stories on the net.
Anyway... The story is quite long, so I'll make it short. Some journalist/blogger/whatever took an interview with a hobo living in Paris. The hobo has been living there for quite a while.
The man was an ex-political activist who lived in Latvia and escaped to France.
In France, he addressed the authorities, requesting to be acknowledged as a political refugee, since he's wanted in his home country for political reasons.
He was refused. The reason, as the authorities explained, is because Latvia is included in the EU and a country in the EU can't provide refuge to people from another country in the union.
However, as an EU resident, he was told that he may stay in France as long as he likes. Since he had no money, they gave him vouchers for free food in certain restaurant, and a place to sleep.
The guy quickly got used to living as a hobo and found a place under a bridge which he turned into his residence. He lived there for a long time, getting free food, free electricity in a nearby high-tech neighborhood, as well as showers, laundry, with nobody asking too much questions.
Furthermore- he travels anywhere for free. He buys no tickets, gets fined, and throws the fines away. Since he's not registered anywhere and has no residence, fines are useless. Flights are no problem either- signing just a few blanks, he may get a free flight to his homeland, or pretty much wherever he desires, as long as he gives a good reason for traveling. Also, the authorities provide him with a few hundred euros to spend there. After all, he IS a poor hobo.
Finding a job is not difficult, but he simply doesn't feel like working. Who can blame him? Free food, free residence, he can find anything he wants on the street- hey, it's Paris, you know.
And the catch? No catch.
This man is probably not alone.
The catch are the huge taxes the French are paying so the lovely communist hobo can live well. Sounds nice, doesn't it?