Paris police have evacuated 400 migrants, most of whom are minors and unaccompanied by relatives, from the La Gaité Lyrique Theater, where they had been staying since last December. The police used violence during the operation, breaking into the theater with batons and tear gas, and arresting 46 migrants and their supporters. According to Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez, the migrants may face deportation following a review of their legal status.
The events trace back to December 10, 2024, when 400 migrants—most of them unaccompanied minors—took shelter in the theater, using it as a temporary refuge while awaiting access to permanent housing. As a result, the theater’s regular programming, including community and artistic activities, was suspended. Despite this disruption, the theater expressed support for the migrants, acknowledging the legitimacy and urgency of their occupation. It also criticized the lack of dialogue between the national government and the City of Paris. Theater staff, in collaboration with civil society organizations, worked to support the migrants and maintain the facility, despite the many challenges caused by severe overcrowding.
The authorities offered the migrants shelter in Rouen, a city two hours from Paris, but they rejected the offer because most were committed to their work and lives in Paris.
In February, the local administrative court issued an evacuation order for the theater, citing threats to public order as well as serious safety and health risks for the underage migrants. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo supported the decision, calling it both appropriate and necessary. She also urged greater support for local authorities working on the front lines to assist migrants. “At this stage, it was the right thing to do,” Hidalgo stated, “because the situation inside the building had become extremely complex, tense, and dangerously unstable.”
The eviction sparked widespread outrage, with several politicians condemning the police’s use of force. Paris Deputy Mayor Léa Filoche stated that the city did not support the operation. “For several months, we have been calling for urgent care and shelter for the young people at Gaîté Lyrique, given the humanitarian emergency,” Filoche said. “We received no response from the government for over three months—only now to see them carry out an eviction without offering any alternative solutions.”
The human rights organization Utopia 56 also issued a statement condemning the eviction and the police’s use of violence against the migrants. “This morning, police officers pushed, gassed, and beat individuals while forcibly removing 450 unaccompanied minors who had sought refuge at Gaîté Lyrique in Paris,” the statement read.
Paris Police Use Tear Gas and Batons to Evict Minors
