Glossary

Persons wishing to claim asylum in France when they are still in their country of nationality or a third country may contact the French embassy of said country to apply for a visa on asylum grounds (visa D). Embassy staff will then refer to the Ministry for Asylum for an opinion. In some cases, this Ministry may, in turn, refer to Ofpra for an opinion.

After arriving in France, holders of the visa on asylum grounds (visa D) must contact their nearest regional Prefecture to submit an official asylum application and get the Ofpra form. Since the 2015 asylum reform, they have been issued the same asylum application certificate as other asylum seekers; this can be renewed up until the end of the procedure.

Ofpra began using video conferencing techniques on a trial basis back in 2006 and these have steadily gained ground. The conditions in which video conferencing may be used have, incidentally, been clarified in the Act of 29 July 2015 reforming the right to asylum and its implementing decree.

Accordingly, the personal interview can now take place via a video conference owing to the asylum seeker's geographical distance from Ofpra's head office or to his or her personal circumstances – particularly when s/he is unable to travel for health or family reasons, or is detained in a place of deprivation of liberty (Article R. 723-9 of the French Code for Entry and Residence of Foreigners and Right of Asylum/CESEDA). Premises receiving asylum seekers have received prior accreditation from Ofpra's Director-General in a decision dated 5 November 2015, and the technical arrangements have been defined in a second decision of the same date.

This particular interviewing method meets guarantees regarding the confidentiality of the interview and the faithful transmission of exchanges between the protection officer, the asylum seeker and, where applicable, the interpreter and third party: the asylum seeker is placed in an equivalent situation to that of the asylum seeker who is interviewed in person.