Mayor resigns after court imposes immigrant marriage

The court decision was taken on December 10, when a judge at the Meaux Judicial Court ordered the city hall, then under Bourjot’s command, to carry out the ceremony. In France, civil marriages are celebrated by municipal administrations, and the mayor or one of his deputies, as civil status official, is responsible for making the union official. Bourjot city hall had refused to celebrate the wedding due to the immigration status of one of the bride and groom, whose nationality was not disclosed.

According to an official statement from the city hall, Bourjot and all his deputies gave up their executive functions, but maintained their mandates as councilors, with the aim of “making it impossible for them to celebrate the wedding”, as they would no longer act as civil status officers. The mayor stated that the decision was taken to not contradict the court order and, at the same time, preserve its political coherence.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office, responsible for investigating the immigrant’s situation, stated that no evidence of a marriage of convenience, celebrated with the aim of avoiding deportation, was identified. According to the prosecutor’s office, the relationship between the bride and groom was considered legitimate, and the expulsion order against the immigrant was suspended, which is why the court ordered the mayor to carry out the ceremony.

The French MP warned that the departure of the mayor and his deputies from administrative duties does not eliminate the possibility of criminal liability, since repeated opposition to compliance with the court decision could constitute an offense under the French Penal Code, according to an official statement cited by the press.