Nearly nine months after its launch, where does the famous Breton reception SAS for homeless people in Paris stand? Located in a former hotel in the town of Montgermont, north of Rennes, the system caused a stir last year. Originally planned to be permanently established in the town of Bruz, it was eventually relocated due to local backlash from elected officials and difficulties in finding suitable public land.
This national project, initiated by the State and locally managed by associations, aims to empty makeshift camps in the Paris region and “unclog” emergency accommodation in the capital by distributing the administrative care of migrants among all French departments. Some associations have criticized the government’s intention to “clean up” the streets of Paris before the next Olympics next summer.
Each month, several hundred displaced people are transported – on a voluntary basis – by bus from Paris to the 10 regional SAS facilities created specifically throughout the country. In Brittany, the small town of Montgermont was chosen to host the facility. Managed by the association Aurore, it can accommodate up to 50 exiles each month.
Opened on June 20, 2023, the Breton SAS welcomed 354 people in need from Île-de-France according to figures released by the Prefecture of Ille-et-Vilaine – as of January 30, 2024. “On site, they benefit from accommodation and a complete examination of their administrative situation, as well as social and health support if necessary,” the Prefecture recalls. “Depending on their situation, they can apply for asylum or continue their application if it has already been submitted. They can also request a review or re-evaluation of their status regarding their stay.”
At the end of the three-week accommodation period, individuals are directed to a suitable exit solution based on their situation. In seven months, 332 exiles received guidance after passing through the Montgermont SAS: 146 people were admitted to the asylum seeker reception system and 135 were accommodated in emergency housing facilities.
“The departments of Brittany are all involved, through sub-regional distribution, based on theoretical orientations,” the Prefecture explains. “The cohorts are pre-assigned to each Breton department before their arrival. At the end of this distribution, the individuals who passed through the SAS were distributed as follows among departments: 32% joined a system in Ille-et-Vilaine (115 people), 28% in Finistère (98 people), 25% in Morbihan (88 people), and 15% in Côtes d’Armor (53 people).”
“The system has a bad reputation because it is politically instrumentalized but it has been working reasonably well so far,” says Fabien Beliarde, director of activities for the Aurore association. “It is a long-term solution for people who are crammed in unworthy situations in Paris. Of course, Brittany is saturated in terms of emergency accommodation. The idea is not to bring people from Paris to exclude others already present here, it doesn’t work like that. We work to resolve sometimes complex administrative situations. Individuals are sometimes directed to hotels while waiting for places to become available.”
For the Aurore representative in the Grand Ouest, “everything is far from perfect”. “There needs to be continuity in support. This SAS is of interest to individuals who have a real possibility of integration and social and professional inclusion in the region, provided that an adequate number of accommodation places are created. Today, there are not enough, we need to do better. I will not simply praise the State, but if everyone takes responsibility for this system, it can lead to very positive outcomes.”
Also, on the condition that the system manages to better target the profiles it brings from Île-de-France. In Montgermont, 51 people simply left the SAS on their own before receiving guidance in recent months. At the national level, several associations such as the Group for Information and Support of Immigrants have criticized the many returns to Paris of individuals who passed through regional SAS facilities.
“Yes, there are people who have returned to Paris,” concedes Fabien Beliarde. “They are not many, but there are some. It is their choice. There are specific circumstances each time. For example, we had a large family that returned during Christmas, as the guidance was taking a long time to come and they were concerned about their children’s schooling.” While a slight decrease has been observed in the flow of arrivals in recent weeks, new people in need continue to arrive regularly in Montgermont.
Regarding rumors of individuals who passed through the SAS now ending up on the streets in Rennes, the head gives little credence. “I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but honestly I don’t know of any individuals who were directed to Brittany and are now on the streets in Rennes.” Contacted by Le Télégramme, several local associations working with homeless individuals in the Breton capital confirm that they have not encountered people from the Montgermont SAS during their recent outreach efforts.
