Asylum procedure
Like adults, unaccompanied minors must contact the prefecture of their place of residence to initiate the procedures in order to apply for asylum in France. However, as minors, they cannot initiate legal or administrative proceedings without having a legal representative.
Therefore, if an unaccompanied minor presents himself at the prefecture without a legal representative, the staff of the prefecture will inform the Public Prosecutor so that an ad hoc administrator can be appointed. Only the legal representative can withdraw an asylum application form from the prefecture. He is also responsible for carrying out all the administrative procedures for the foreign unaccompanied minor. If the unaccompanied minor benefits from a State guardianship pronounced by a judge, it is the services of the Social Assistance to the Childhood (ASE) of the department of residence of the minor which will take charge of undertaking all these steps.