Thibault Monnier, a member of parliament for the Drôme region affiliated with the National Rally and a member of the Identity-Liberties party, discovered on Thursday, February 5th, that an undocumented individual was occupying his studio apartment in Lyon's 7th arrondissement. The property, empty since the previous tenant's departure, had been occupied without any legal right or title. The man, who was subject to a deportation order, was arrested shortly after the arrival of the police, who had been called by the elected official.
The altercation, filmed by the member of parliament, shows a tense exchange in which the landlord demands the immediate departure of the occupant and questions the damage observed. According to the elected official, the apartment had suffered various forms of material damage. The individual reportedly explained that he wanted to stay for a few weeks in order to work illegally.
A political symbol for the elected official
On social media, Thibault Monnier denounced what he considers widespread laxity, writing: “When you enter France illegally without any problems, you think you can just walk into an apartment like this, why hold back? (…) In fact, everything is free in France!” He also praised the police intervention. This incident comes as the Senate has just passed, in its first reading, a bill aimed at strengthening legislation against squatting, notably by expanding the expedited eviction procedure.
