Young mayor near Toulouse removes illegal encampment in 3 days with police support, saying travelers were not welcome

A group of around twenty caravans and their occupants left the Boulbènes football fields in Fonsorbes, near Toulouse, on Thursday, June 11, after occupying the site illegally since Sunday evening. The eviction followed a rapid police operation backed by a court order issued within hours and the immediate support of the prefecture, an unusually fast sequence for Haute-Garonne.

Gendarmerie units from Villeneuve-Tolosane arrived shortly before 10 a.m. and positioned themselves around the sports complex, where an itinerant evangelical group had set up camp. Before intervening, officers held a brief briefing and were instructed to act with “courtesy but firmness.” At first, the occupants believed they still had time before the court ruling would be enforced, but the authorities quickly made clear that the decision was immediately executable.

The mayor of Fonsorbes, Mathieu Lafoux, acted swiftly from the moment the caravans arrived. He said he told the itinerant families they were not welcome in the commune and promptly launched legal proceedings. The municipality argued that the football fields were needed for local sports activities and were already being used to host the town’s fairground workers. Several football tournaments were scheduled in the coming weeks, making the occupation particularly disruptive.

A court order for expulsion was obtained in record time, and the prefecture authorized the use of public force. The operation was overseen on site by deputy prefect Pascal Bagdian, the mayor and representatives of the community. Although tensions rose as the occupants realized no extra delay would be granted, the discussions remained mostly calm. Authorities wanted to avoid a forced removal and instead secure a voluntary departure.

After less than 30 minutes of negotiations, the situation was resolved. The occupants agreed to leave during the day, the large evangelical tent was dismantled, and by 2 p.m. the site had been cleared. Mayor Lafoux thanked the prefecture, the gendarmes and the municipal police for their role in ending the occupation quickly.

The local football club said the evacuation was a major relief. According to its president, Christian Serrani, the unauthorized encampment had threatened to prevent more than 500 children from playing football that weekend, including a major tournament. He also noted that end-of-season events are a key source of income for amateur clubs, which are often under financial pressure. The clearing of the grounds therefore helped protect both sporting activity and the club’s budget.

The Fonsorbes case also highlights a broader issue in Haute-Garonne, where several illegal installations have recently been reported, including in Toulouse’s Mounède area, near the Lac de Plaisance-du-Touch and on a sports ground in Aussonne. Local officials say these recurring situations reflect a wider problem: the lack of compliant large transit areas required under the departmental reception plan for travelling communities.

From installation to departure, fewer than five days passed, making this one of the fastest expulsions in the department in recent years. Authorities said the speed of the court and administrative response was exceptional, whereas such procedures often take much longer.