Over 300 Migrant Minors Occupy Paris Theater in Search of Housing

The Gaîté Lyrique theater in Paris is currently home to over 300 homeless African immigrants who claim to be unaccompanied minors. They are urging the French government to provide housing and other benefits. As city officials dispute their age claims, the situation highlights broader issues of immigration policy in Europe.

The iconic Gaîté Lyrique theater in Paris, known for its rich cultural history, is now a makeshift shelter for over 300 homeless African immigrants. These individuals are seeking recognition as unaccompanied minors to qualify for housing and government assistance, fundamentally a critical step in French law.

Under the aegis of the Belleville Park Youth Collective—a combination of young immigrants and left-wing activists—the group has staged this occupation while highlighting the ongoing struggle of many minors who lack proper documentation to prove their age. Since 2023, similar actions have occurred in various other locations, where activists have reportedly pressured the city into securing approximately 800 shelter spaces for youth migrants.

However, the city government claims it has exhausted available shelter options and has made preliminary assessments that many of the occupants may not be the ages they assert. This predicament leaves numerous individuals in legal limbo as they pursue court appeals regarding their status.

Adhering to the principles outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, European nations are obligated to offer special protections and housing to immigrant minors. The struggle to verify ages has turned into a contentious debate against the backdrop of rising anti-immigrant sentiments, particularly as far-right political movements gain traction across Europe.

“This is a huge issue in Europe,” commented Ulrike Bialas, a sociologist from the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Germany, emphasizing the urgency of the matter.