A French homeowner who opened his door to a family of illegal migrants out of compassion has been left with no access to his property after a year-long ordeal involving alleged threats, property damage, and a legal battle.
In the summer of 2025, a Mauritian couple with two young daughters approached 56-year-old Hervé from France’s Côtes-d’Armor region, asking if they could pitch a tent in the garden of the guest house he had spent years renovating. Moved by the children’s situation, Hervé decided to help.
“Children sleeping in a tent during winter and still having to go to school—that’s terrible,” he said. Rather than leaving them outside, he allowed the family to move into the house under a short-term arrangement at a very favorable rental rate.
However, by early 2026, relations had deteriorated. According to reports, there were repeated nighttime disturbances, accusations of theft directed at Hervé, and disputes over electricity bills.
The situation escalated in January 2026 when the father of the family was allegedly caught tampering with the electricity meter. When confronted, he reportedly threatened Hervé, saying: “I’m going to smash your face in.”
He decided not to renew the lease, citing several issues, including the family’s failure to provide proof of insurance. According to the reports, matters worsened when the couple allegedly broke a rearview mirror on his car, prompting Hervé to file a complaint. Later he also found his house vandalised by the family.
On Feb. 1, 2026, Hervé formally demanded that the family leave the property. They refused, triggering eviction proceedings. During the legal process, Hervé reportedly discovered that the same couple had previously faced eviction from another property around July 2025 over allegations of unpaid rent, verbal violence, and death threats.
Despite nearly six months of legal proceedings, the family remains in the guest house as of July 2026. Court hearings were reportedly missed or postponed at the family’s request, preventing Hervé from recovering his property.
Describing the situation as “unmanageable,” Hervé is now considering selling the guest house.
The issue of illegal propery occupation is not limited to France. Italy passed the Security Decree last year, according to which anyone who occupies private property through violence, threats, or deceit, preventing the rightful owner from returning, now faces two to seven years in prison. The Decree also introduces an expedited procedure for the reinstatement of possession, with immediate intervention by the judicial police. However, even in Giorgia Meloni’s immediate eviction applies only if the occupied property is the complainant’s sole residence.
