Several dozen protesters occupied the offices of the Vatican's embassy in Paris on Monday to support a group of undocumented migrants who are on hunger strike and who were thrown out of a church earlier this month.

The embassy, known as the Apostolic Nunciature, confirmed the occupation but made no other comment.

Protesters unfurled a banner from the building in central Paris reading: "Jesus defended the stranger. What have you, Christian, done for your undocumented brothers?"

The protesters were supporting a group of about 50 illegal immigrants, mainly from Algeria, who have been on hunger strike since November and are demanding they be regularised.

Police on December 21 peacefully removed the hunger strikers from a church in the northern city of Lille which they had been occupying as part of their protest.