justice rejects a request from the metropolis of Lyon

Justice will not, for the moment, require the municipality of Écully to issue the work authorizations requested by the metropolis of Lyon for the opening of a center for young migrants. The administrative court on Tuesday rejected a request from the metropolis, led by environmentalists, to advance this project, which is opposed by Sébastien Michel, the LR mayor of this wealthy town in western Lyon. In his order, the administrative judge considers that the town hall “has, at this stage, not committed any manifest illegality”.

He adds that the Forum Refugees association, which is to manage the future center, has made a request to the town hall for work but has not formally submitted a request to open the building, citing a «confusion» between the two requests. Taking «act» of the decision, the Metropolis estimated Tuesday evening that at “In view of the court's conclusions, there is nothing to prevent this center from opening as soon as possible and the mayor of Écully signing the opening authorization order”. “The president of the Metropolis renews his request to this effect with a constant concern for responsibility and dignity”she added.

70 places for unaccompanied minors

As part of its mission to accommodate young unaccompanied minors (UMAs) present on its territory, the Metropolis decided in 2024 to renovate premises belonging to it in Écully, which have already welcomed Ukrainian refugees, to transform them into a center reception for 70 young migrants. But the mayor LR Sébastien Michel denounces “lack of consultation” of Greater Lyon and refuses to give the necessary authorizations. To get out of this impasse, the Metropolis on Monday summoned the town hall for summary proceedings so that the courts would order it to authorize the opening of the center, but also the Rhône prefecture, considering that it could have replaced the mayor. to issue authorizations.

The community's lawyer, Gilles Le Châtelier, estimated Monday that the mayor “play for time, for eight months nothing has happened, it prevents the Metropolis from exercising its competence in matters of emergency accommodation”. Reacting to the decision, Sébastien Michel judged that he was not “not normal for a president of the Metropolis to attack a mayor in court to impose his views on him”denouncing “the contempt, the cynicism, the brutality of the method used” by the president of Greater Lyon, Bruno Bernard.

According to the Metropolis, the number of unaccompanied migrant minors has increased from 1,200 to 3,000 over the last three years in the city. The three reception accommodation centers are currently saturated, which generates an additional cost of six million euros in renting hotel rooms.