“It is unthinkable to throw these people back onto the street in December”: the city of Paris proposes to rehouse young migrants from Gaîté Lyrique in a former high school

They no longer want to have to sleep in the cold and on the street. While waiting for an accommodation solution, more than 200 young migrants, homeless unaccompanied minors, have occupied the Gaîté lyrique, a performance hall located in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, since last Tuesday.

“La Gaîté Lyrique is not suitable for living there, but we needed to get warm, and we won't leave here without a real and sustainable hosting solution. We are minors, we have the right to it,” said one of the group members.

“Emergency accommodation is a State responsibility”

Contacted by France 3 Paris Île-de-France, the city of Paris confirms to our colleagues that it has proposed a transfer to the former Brassaï high school, an establishment in the 15th arrondissement that has been unoccupied since its closure in September 2023. “Emergency accommodation is a State responsibility,” explains Patrick Bloch, first deputy mayor of Paris.

Problem: the city “does not have empty premises that could be used overnight”, he admits. Failing this, Patrick Bloch assures that discussions are underway with the Île-de-France Region to make high school available to young migrants.

Rebellion from the mayor of the 15th arrondissement. On “With more than 2,000 accommodation places for people in difficulty, the 15th arrondissement takes its full place in the implementation of solidarity policies,” he assures.

The prefecture of the Île-de-France Region responds that “this is an illegal occupation of a building by migrants recognized as adults by the social services of the City of Paris”, and that ” It is up to the owner, if he wishes, to refer this situation to the judicial and police authorities.”

“Should we wait until the situation deteriorates further?”

While the authorities are passing each other hot potatoes, Gaîté lyrique denounces, in a press release, “the inaction and incapacity for dialogue between State services and those of the City of Paris”.

“In no case is Gaîté Lyrique competent and does not have the sanitary spaces and means to offer an accommodation solution to these people, with respect and human dignity,” underlines the establishment.

“However, in the absence of any concrete rehousing proposal from the State and the City of Paris, At the risk of putting them in danger, it is unthinkable to throw these people onto the streets in December, when temperatures are around 0°. Should we wait until the situation deteriorates further, or until there are victims, for this inaction of the competent and responsible authorities to stop?”