Resettlement and humanitarian admission - France | DIP EUAA
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France is bound by the Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Framework Regulation (URF)
The Code of the Entry and Residence of Foreigners and of the Right to Asylum | Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile (CESEDA).
| Authorities responsible for establishing resettlement and humanitarian admission policy | Ministry of the Interior | Directorate General for Foreign nationals in France | Direction Générale des Étrangers en France (DGEF) |
|---|---|
| Identification and referral of refugees for a) resettlement programmes b) humanitarian admission programmes c) community sponsorship programmes | United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). For community sponsorship (humanitarian corridors), the identification and referral of potential refugees is done by four organisations with which the government has signed specific agreements: |
| Selection of refugees for a) resettlement programmes b) humanitarian admission programmes c) community sponsorship programmes |
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| Pre-departure assistance a) resettlement programmes b) humanitarian admission programmes c) community sponsorship programmes | Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs | Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères, French embassies and consulates abroad International Organization for Migration (IOM) In the case of community sponsorship (humanitarian corridors): |
| Travel arrangements a) resettlement programmes b) humanitarian admission programmes c) community sponsorship programmes | International Organization for Migration (IOM) In the case of community sponsorship (humanitarian corridors): |
| Arrival and reception a) resettlement programmes b) humanitarian admission programmes c) community sponsorship programmes | International Organization for Migration (IOM) In the case of community sponsorship (humanitarian corridors): |
France implements resettlement programmes and a community sponsorship programme. Since 2008, France resettles refugees under a bilateral framework agreement signed with UNHCR. The beneficiaries of this programme, placed under the protection of UNHCR, are selected on the basis of their files after an examination by the Ministry of the Interior.
In 2014, France started implementing a new resettlement programme (Humanitarian Admission Programme (HAP)), which entails the deployment of selection missions in selected first asylum third countries, based on annual quotas. It falls under the EU resettlement scheme.
Since 2017, France runs a humanitarian corridor programme, which is a community sponsorship scheme, fully funded by participating organisations. The programme is based on a memorandum of understanding signed between the national authority and the sponsoring organisation.
| 2-year Union Plan | National commitment for resettlement | National commitment for humanitarian admissions | Emergency quota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Period 2024-2025 | 6,000 refugees | ||
| Period 2026-2027 | |||
| Period 2028-2029 |
Identification and referral: The identification of refugees is made by UNHCR who refers them to the French authorities by using the Refugee Referral Form (RRF).
Assessment: For a bilateral agreement, following the submission of the file (RRF), the selection of refugees is carried out by the Ministry of the Interior after consulting the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and performing security screening by the French security services. For the humanitarian admission programme, the assessment of the referred refugees is made by OPFRA and the security services of the Ministry of the Interior. OFPRA conducts in-person interviews with individuals identified by UNHCR, then draws up a list of selected persons based on their need for international protection.
Resettled individuals may receive refugee status with a 10-year residence permit or subsidiary protection with a 4-year renewable residence permit.
The IOM is commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior to organise pre-departure orientation. The orientation covers 10 topics:
- Plane transfers
- Reception arrangements upon arrival
- Life in France
- Rights and obligations in France
- Social and administrative support provided under the programme
- Secularism and the principles of the French Republic (les valeurs de la République française)
- The education system
- The healthcare system
- Cultural adaptation and integration basics
- Basic French language skills
The aim of these sessions is to provide basic and accurate information to help beneficiaries adjust to life in France and understand their rights and obligations.
The pre-departure and orientation (PDO) sessions occur a few days before the transfer and last for 3 days. Refugees are invited to take part in these sessions in small groups of 10-15 people.
The sessions are accompanied by an information brochure and a short film:
- The brochure is available in 11 languages: Oromo, Tigrinya, Somali, Arabic, Amharic, Kinyarwanda, Farsi, Sango, Swahili, French and English. It is systematically distributed to all beneficiaries of the programme.
- The short film is available in 9 languages: Arabic, Sudanese Arabic, Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromo, Somali, Kinyarwanda, French and English. The content of the short film was developed by the IOM based on information gathered from trainers in sending countries, associations and institutions in France, and the beneficiaries themselves.
The IOM is responsible for organising fit-to-fly medical exams before departure to ensure individuals selected for resettlement can travel safely. If a treatment is needed, the IOM will provide it and cover the costs. The IOM is also responsible for booking plane tickets.
The formalities to issue travel documents (consular laissez-passer and long-stay visas) are done by the French consular section of the country of first asylum.
Operators responsible for the reception of resettled refugees are contracted by French authorities. Their mission includes the search of suitable accommodation and the commitment to assist them on their path towards integration during the first year after arrival in France.
Once the accommodation has been found, the IOM organises the transfer of families to France.
The operators in charge of reception also provide assistance in obtaining the residence permit, access to school and social welfare, and with the signature of the Republican Integration Contract (contrat d'intégration républicaine, CIR) with the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII).
The resettlement programme is based on annual quotas within the framework of the European Resettlement Programme. For the period of 2024-2025, France pledged to resettle 6,000 refugees with the support of AMIF funds.
France does not have a standing pledge for humanitarian admissions.
France does not have any community sponsorship programme related to the state-led resettlement programme.
The humanitarian corridor programme is a private sponsorship scheme, fully funded by sponsoring organisations. The programme is based on a memorandum of understanding signed between the national authority and participating civil society organisations.
The programme was first set up in France in 2017 for international protection applicants from Syria and Iraq who were residing in Lebanon, and likely to obtain refugee status or subsidiary protection in France. It was renewed in 2021 for another 3 years through two separate memoranda of understanding, with a reception target of 300 beneficiaries for Sant'Egidio and the Semaines sociales de France on one hand, and 300 for the Fédération de l’entraide protestante and the Fédération protestante de France on the other. In 2025, they were prolonged for another 3 years.
Costs and arrangements for the recipients' travel to France, as well as their accommodation, are taken care of by the relevant organisation. They also support the beneficiaries through the process of applying for international protection in France, access to school, social welfare, health services, and their path to integration and work.
France does not have any community sponsorship programme related to other complementary pathways.