the administrative court rejects the request of the Métropole de Lyon

Monday January 20, the Metropolis of Lyon, led by environmentalists, urgently took legal action to advance a project for an accommodation center for young migrants in Écully. In this town in western Lyon, Mayor LR is resisting. Administrative justice rendered its decision this Tuesday, January 21.

“The mayor of Écully has, at this stage, not committed any obvious illegality.” The administrative court of Lyon has just rejected the request made by the Métropole de Lyon.

Accommodation and support for unaccompanied minors present on its territory is part of the missions of the Métropole de Lyon. In this context, it decided in 2024 to renovate premises belonging to it in Écully and transform them into a temporary reception center for 70 young migrants awaiting their minority assessment. A decision that is difficult to pass on the town hall side.

For several months, the affair has poisoned relations between the town hall of Écully and the Metropolis of Lyon. Opposed to the project, Mayor LR Sébastien Michel denounces “lack of consultation” of Greater Lyon and refuses to give the necessary authorizations for the renovation of the premises. However, the building belongs to the Metropolis.

To get out of this impasse, the Metropolis of Lyon therefore summoned the town hall for interim relief this Monday, January 20. The community also sued the Rhône prefecture, believing that it could have replaced the mayor to issue the authorizations.

“The mayor of Écully is playing for time, for eight months, nothing has happened, he is preventing the Metropolis from exercising its jurisdiction in matters of emergency accommodation”pleaded Me Gilles Le Châtelier, lawyer for the metropolis before the administrative court. This opposition amounts to a “misuse of procedure” comparable to that used several years ago by the town hall of Nice to avoid the opening of a prayer room for Muslims, he further argued.
“It is not only a question of welcoming the public, it is a question of child protection, it is a fundamental right that is achieved”added the lawyer for the Forum Réfugiés association, which will manage the future reception center.

“Far be it from us to contest a dramatic situation”replied Me Philippe Schmidt, defender of the commune of Écully, ensuring that security work remained necessary in the premises of this former engineering school. The site had already welcomed refugee families from Ukraine. In this center, young people awaiting minority assessment would only be passing through a few days or a few weeks. But in last October, the mayor of Écully, Sébastien Michel, explained his positionevoking in particular a site too “eccentric”, “inadequate” et “poorly served. The place located a long distance from Villeurbanne and the city center of Lyon where these young people must carry out their procedures, according to the elected official.

Also in the balance, the heavy accommodation costs for these minors isolated by the Metropolis, an overcrowded accommodation system and an obligation to provide care. According to the Métropole de Lyon, the number of unaccompanied migrant minors in the area has increased from 1,200 to 3,000 over the last three years. Consequence: saturated accommodation centers and the obligation to finance hotel nights. Nights which represent nearly 6 million euros per year, indicated at the time Lucie Vacher, environmental Vice-President of the Metropolis, in responsible for social and educational action.

For his part, the mayor of Écully had other ambitions for the old engineering school, notably a project “cultural” and welcoming associations.