You will be interviewed by a protection officer, who will ask you questions about the reasons for your departure and your fears if you return to your country.
The interview is confidential and individual, Ofpra does not transmit any information to your family, your relatives or the authorities of your country. If you are accompanied by a member of your family or a close friend, they cannot be present during the interview. You can, however, be accompanied by a lawyer or an association representative.
You will be assisted by an interpreter in the language you indicated in the form.
The protection officer and the interpreter are subject to the duty of confidentiality.
The interview will be recorded. In the event of a negative response or the granting of subsidiary protection, you may request access to this recording after notification of the decision and for the purposes of your appeal before the CNDA. Once you have filed your appeal, the recording is transmitted by Ofpra to the CNDA, which sends it to your lawyer. If you wish to access the recording before filing your appeal, you can request it by email at acces.audio[a]ofpra.gouv.fr. The consultation of this recording is then done by appointment at the premises of Ofpra.
The place where your interview will take place is systematically indicated on your invitation.
The interviews take place at the headquarters of Ofpra, in Fontenay-sous-Bois, in the Paris region. However, there are a few special cases:
- If you have applied for asylum in Guyana, you will be received at the Ofpra branch in Cayenne for your interview (see the FAQ “I wish to apply for asylum and I live in French Guiana or in Mayotte” ).
- If you have applied for asylum in Mayotte, you will be received in Mayotte for your interview (see the FAQ “I wish to apply for asylum and I live in French Guiana or in Mayotte”).
- If you are summoned as part of an Ofpra mission in the region, the address at which your interview will take place will be indicated on your invitation.
Your interview may also take place by videoconference with the Ofpra headquarters in certain specific cases (asylum applications submitted in overseas departments and communities, asylum applications in detention, etc.).
Interviews start at 9 a.m, 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. It is not necessary to arrive more than half an hour before the time indicated on your invitation.
You can inform the examination unit in charge of your file of any delays by e-mail (its e-mail address is indicated on your invitation).
You may have to wait before being heard by the protection officer. This wait can last but should not worry you.
So that the protection officer who will receive you for an interview is informed of your presence, it is essential to submit your summons to the reception desk before settling in the waiting room.
You must present the original of your summons and your asylum application certificate during your interview.
If you are in possession of original identity documents (passport, identity card, birth or marriage certificate, family record book), these documents must also be presented.
Since the implementation of the 2015 asylum law, all asylum seekers have the option of being accompanied by a lawyer or an association representative at the interview conducted by the Office.
In this regard, you can consult the list of associations authorized to send a representative.
The associations that come under the definition set by law are associations for the defense of human rights, for the defense of the rights of foreigners or asylum seekers, for the defense of the rights of women or children, or for the fight against persecution based on gender or sexual orientation.
The lawyer or the representative of the association wishing to accompany an applicant to the interview informs the Office in advance as far as possible of his presence, at least seven days before the interview in normal procedure and four days before in procedure accelerated.
Due to the great vulnerability of certain asylum seekers followed by mental health professionals, the Ofpra takes into consideration requests for assistance by a psychiatrist, psychologist or psychotherapist, under the conditions as described in the procedures guide.
In exceptional cases, the Office may authorize the presence during the interview of a trusted third party, under the conditions as provided for in the aforementioned guide.
Apart from these cases, the interview being individual, you cannot be accompanied.
It is also not expected that the interview can take place in the presence of children. If necessary, you must make the necessary arrangements to present yourself without children or in the company of a person of your choice to whom they can be entrusted for the duration of the hearing.
You must mention this choice in the asylum application form. If it appears related to the elements of the asylum application, the interview will be conducted by a sex worker of your choice. The same rules apply to the choice of performer.
The place where your interview will take place is systematically indicated on your invitation.
The interviews take place at the headquarters of Ofpra, in Fontenay-sous-Bois, in the Paris region. However, there are a few special cases:
- If you have applied for asylum in Guyana, you will be received at the Ofpra branch in Cayenne for your interview (see the FAQ “I wish to apply for asylum and I live in French Guiana or in Mayotte” ).
- If you have applied for asylum in Mayotte, you will be received in Mayotte for your interview (see the FAQ “I wish to apply for asylum and I live in French Guiana or in Mayotte”).
- If you are summoned as part of an Ofpra mission in the region, the address at which your interview will take place will be indicated on your invitation.
Your interview may also take place by videoconference with the Ofpra headquarters in certain specific cases (asylum applications submitted in overseas departments and communities, asylum applications in detention, etc.).
The invitation is notified to you by making it available in your secure personal digital space or, when the dematerialized notification is not implemented, sent by simple mail to the last known postal address. Remember to update it to receive all our correspondence (see section “How do I inform the Ofpra of my change of address?”).
If you provided your mobile phone number and/or your email address, an automatic SMS and/or email will be sent to you.
You will then have to go to the Ofpra with the paper summons.
The invitation is notified to you by making it available in your secure personal digital space or, when the dematerialized notification is not implemented, sent by simple mail to the last known postal address. Remember to update it to receive all our correspondence.
If you have not received the summons, but only an SMS or email, you can contact the division in charge of your file.
You will be assisted by a professional interpreter in the language you chose during your appointment at the one-stop shop. It is recommended that you indicate the language you are most fluent in. The full list of languages available for interview can be viewed on the Ofpra website.
Interpreters are subject to the duty of confidentiality, in the same way as Ofpra agents.
You must inform Ofpra as soon as possible and send the proof of your absence. The Ofpra will then assess the validity of the supporting document.
If Ofpra considers that the reason for your absence is legitimate, you will be summoned again. The legitimate reason for your absence corresponds to a reason beyond your control and not foreseeable.
If Ofpra considers that the reason for your absence is not legitimate, it may rule on your request based on the information in the file.