User:Naarkorful/Asylum in France

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Seeking asylum in France is a legal right that is admitted by the constitution of France. Meanwhile, the status of recognized asylum seekers is protected by corresponding laws and Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, which France signed on 25 July 1951. France is considered to be one of the main asylum host countries in Europe. According to statistics collected by the World Bank, in 2021 there were 499,914 refugees registered in France. Asylum policies in France are regarded as a concerned topic among the public and politicians, and some controversies also exist in the current system of French asylum policies, such as issues on the assimilation policy, national security problems and living conditions of asylum seekers.

Post-WWII period[edit]

Since 1946, asylum seekers heading for France experienced an increasing trend with the need for recovering the economy. Asylum-seekers were permitted on the basis of how their labor could benefit the French economy. In 1951, French joined the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and formally wrote the right of asylum to its constitution. In July 1952, OFPRA was formally established by a new law, as a professional, independent office for affairs of asylum applications. With the legalization of refugee status, rights of asylum seekers in France could be protected. Data showed that France received about 15,000 asylum seekers annually on average, until 1960. Yet entering into the 1970s to 1980s, applications for asylum increased at a higher pace and then prompted France to change some of its asylum policies. In France, intercultural- approach policies on asylum- seeking were first put in place in the 1980s after being agreed upon by republicans, left and right wing parties as well as anti-immigration and white supremacist groups. This model made undocumented migration highly punishable and pushed to strengthened border control. Only legal migration and asylum seeking could be considered for government assistance.

New changes on French asylum policy happened in 1990s too, one example was in August 1993 when some new laws on immigration and asylum were passed by French Parliament. The new amendments mainly focused on controlling the number of immigrants and asylum seekers moving into France, regulating marriages and identity documents. Some scholars criticised the changing of laws brought a new trend that would end the liberal-like asylum policy of France, but an announcement by French parliament also stressed that it is reasonable that the entry criteria of asylum seekers and immigrants is within the area that could be changed by administrative measures.

During the Europe Refugee Crisis since 2015, France responded initially and became one of the five EU members that accepted 75% of asylum seekers. However, some of the EU measures for distributing asylum seekers were not supported by France, for example a quota system.[clarification needed] Then in September 2015, President François Hollande announced that 24,000 refugees would be finally received by France in the next two years, he then also stressed "Different conditions" that would lead to a lower receiving amount of asylum seekers for France, compared to Germany.

Related issues[edit]

Asylum in France remains a high-profile topic that is being consistently concerned, and some issues regarding to the asylum policy and the current system in France are being claimed to have affected France negatively, and some of the frequently mentioned aspects have been presented below.

National security[edit]

After 2015 the Europe refugee crisis, incidents like terrorist attacks that break national security, are partially connected with the asylum policy. After several terrorist attacks happened in France, for example, the Paris attack in November 2015, after which President Hollande announced the National Emergency status across France. Concerns on domestic security was also presumed to be a reason that pulled up the support rate of right-wing parties since 2015, which advocates stricter policies on managing asylum seekers. Some voices also claimed that the influx of Islamist radicals and the failure of integration policy had contributed to the deteriorating safety environment of France.

Camps near Calais and living conditions[edit]

Calais "Jungle" refugee camps in 2015 The living conditions of some asylum seekers in France raised controversies as well. A frequently mentioned case relates to Migrants near Calais and Dunkirk, where refugees built shelters and formed even communities themselves for decades. On the one hand, Living qualities in these temporary camps are described as "dire" by some observers and are criticised as sanitary conditions, medical services and living qualities are reported to be inadequate. However, President Macron also stressed the "illegal actions" that happened by asylum seekers near Calais as they hope to reach the UK and some of the residents had been legally transported to reception centres. Camps near Calais have been announced to be "dismantled" reported in 2015, however, some estimated that 900 asylum seekers are still living near the area.