French President Emmanuel Macron, during his recent visit to Switzerland, expressed concern that asylum seekers don't always originate from war-torn countries. Yet international protection does not only concern people fleeing conflict.
During a conference on Europe in Switzerland on November 16, Emmanuel Macron declared that "in the main countries where asylum requests come from, there is no war," expressing concern over what he characterized as "economic" asylum requests.
However, it is possible to request asylum without fleeing conflict. Individuals who obtain asylum have typically fled persecution based on specific grounds outlined in the Geneva Convention of 1951, linked to specific reasons concerning their race, religion, political opinions, or membership in a particular social group.
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For instance, a person persecuted due to their homosexuality in a country that penalizes such orientation can attain refugee status in France (this is the case for asylum seekers from Senegal, a country that is not at war). Similar situations arise for a person whose religion is discriminated against in their country of origin (the Rohingya in Burma) or political opponents in a totalitarian state (Russians who obtain refugee status in France, for example).
Subsidiary protection for nationals of countries at war
Another form of protection, known as subsidiary protection, can be granted to those fleeing war. This status is "granted to any person who does not meet the conditions for refugee status." It includes civilians facing a "serious and individual threat to life or person due to violence which may extend [...] resulting from a situation of internal or international armed conflict," according to French law.
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Take the case of Syrians for example. Some opponents of the regime, who have taken part in the revolution, have obtained refugee status in France. Others, like non-activists, have obtained subsidiary protection from the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) because they risked being killed in a bombing.
In 2022, OFPRA recorded just over 130,000 asylum requests in France. The Cour nationale du droit d'asile, the French administrative court established to review appeals from OFPRA decisions, received nearly 62,000 files. Overall, more than 56,000 individuals were granted protection in France last year.
The top countries of origin of asylum seekers are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Turkey and Georgia.
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