This chapter delves into the position and function of Paris within contrasting dynamics of solidarity and hostility at the urban level, questioning its identity as a welcoming city and the extent thereof. In our examination, we not only scrutinize the actions taken by the city towards migrants and refugees but also consider the agency of migrants and refugees within the urban landscape. We observe that the city plays a pivotal role in shaping diverse hierarchies of legitimacy, determining who merits assistance and acceptance. Simultaneously, migrants and refugees emerge as significant contributors to urban evolution, even in the absence of targeted welcoming policies at the local level. We propose to highlight three prominent paradoxes and contradictions. The initial paradox lies in the disjunction between the municipality’s proclamation of being a “city of refuge” and the reality of its operational strategies. The subsequent paradox concerns the contrast between the comprehensive reception afforded to newly arrived Ukrainian migrants and the treatment of other migrant and refugee groups. Through the selective acceptance of certain newcomers, such as Ukrainians, and the exclusion or disregard of others, the city administration shapes distinct hierarchies of legitimacy concerning the right to the city. The third paradox revolves around the incongruity between the municipality’s limited efforts directed towards other migrant and refugee groups, particularly irregular migrants like rejected asylum seekers, and the actual lived experiences of these communities within the urban milieu. These hierarchies of legitimacy are independent of the connections migrants and refugees cultivate with the city in their daily lives. Consequently, even those considered undesirable by conventional standards can exert a profound influence on the city’s development and inhabitation through their transformative actions: they are mere city makers.