Overview

• Robert Ménard, the mayor of Béziers, refused to officiate the marriage of a French woman and an undocumented Algerian man in July 2023, claiming the union was a 'sham marriage.'
• The Algerian man, under an expulsion order and previously convicted of theft with violence, was deported to Algeria two weeks after the marriage refusal.
• The couple filed a legal complaint, arguing that Ménard's actions violated their rights under French law and the European Convention on Human Rights.
• Ménard faces potential penalties, including up to five years in prison, a €75,000 fine, and disqualification from holding public office, depending on the outcome of the legal proceedings.
• A proposed law to allow mayors to refuse marriages involving undocumented individuals is set to be debated in the French Senate later this week, with government support for the measure.