The City of Lyon announced that it was going to shelter 160 young migrants in minority appeals installed until now in the Square du Béguin, in the 7th arrondissement.
160 young migrants, currently on minority appeal, have been living in the 7th arrondissement of Lyon, at Square du Béguin, since January 2024. A situation which has persisted for almost a year despite calls for help from numerous associations.
To deal with this situation that she describes as “unacceptable“, this Wednesday, December 18, the City of Lyon indicated that it was going to shelter these 160 young migrants in a vacant private building belonging to the company Axentia.
“Like the partnership between the City of Lyon and the Diocese which made it possible to accommodate, in January 2024, 170 young migrants seeking recourse who occupied Square Sainte-Marie-Perrin (3rd), the City of Lyon continued its search for transitional accommodation solutions in order to shelter young people in vulnerable situations living in the Square du Béguin (7th)” explains the City in its press release.
The building available until October 2025
The building, “in very good condition“, will accommodate 160 people and will be available”in a few weeks” and this until October 2025. At the end of which the site will be the subject of a real estate housing project on the part of its owner. The reception and shelter center temporarily installed in this building will be managed by the municipality via its municipal social action center (CCAS).
In addition to this accommodation solution for young people from Square du Béguin, the municipality explains that it will accommodate, during the Christmas school vacation period, 72 people, including 47 children, accommodated until now in 16 schools in Lyon . “This solution, more adapted to the needs of families, will be effective from Friday evening. The estimated cost of support by the municipality is more than 35,000 euros” details the community.
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If the City of Lyon has no legal obligation in terms of emergency accommodation, the town hall led by environmentalists since 2020 recalls that it has multiplied by 34 the budget allocated to emergency accommodation between 2021 and 2024, going from 70,000 euros to 2.4 million euros. “With the upcoming opening of the transitional accommodation center, a total of nearly 800 emergency accommodation places are being made available by the City of Lyon during the winter break.“concludes the City.
