Paris Orders Evacuation of Migrant Camps Along Seine Following Gaîté Lyrique Displacement

Hundreds of migrants remain in precarious conditions after rejecting state-provided accommodations, with a police-enforced deadline set for March 28.

The Paris police prefecture has mandated the removal of over 250 migrants camping illegally along the Seine by March 28, citing health and safety concerns.
These camps emerged after the March 18 evacuation of the Gaîté Lyrique theater, where approximately 400 migrants had been occupying the venue for three months.
Only six migrants accepted relocation offers following the theater's evacuation, while most refused, fearing administrative evaluations of their legal status.
The evacuation of the theater resulted in 46 arrests, 62 administrative detentions, and 27 obligations to leave French territory (OQTFs).
Tensions persist between the French government and Paris city officials, with both sides criticized for deflecting responsibility for addressing the migrants' needs.