Minors

Children of refugees and subsidiary protection beneficiaries

As of January 1, 2019, the asylum application presented at a GUDA by a foreign national who is in France accompanied by his minor children is considered to be presented in his name and in that of his children.

• Accompanying minors, i.e. present on French territory on the date of registration of the parent's asylum application

Accompanying minors are placed under the protection of the Ofpra at the same time as their parents. If they experience personal fears of persecution or if one of the parents is recognized as a refugee , they are recognized as refugees on a principal basis or on the basis of the family unit. If they have personal fears of serious harm and neither parent is recognized as a refugee, they are granted the benefit of subsidiary protection.

• Minors joining or born in France after the date of registration of the parent's asylum application

Minors joining or born in France after the registration of their parents' asylum application at the GUDA have the possibility, if they so wish in view of their personal situation, of registering, through these last, an individual asylum application in the prefecture. In no case can the Ofpra be contacted directly.

Important: Minor children born in France or joining their parents after they have obtained international protection benefit, as such and without the need to apply for asylum, from a right of residence as soon as they arrive in France, which will be confirmed to them. at their majority by the issue of a residence permit if they have not acquired French nationality in the meantime.

In addition, parents have the option of contacting the prefecture to request the issuance of an identity and travel document (TIV) which will allow the minor to travel.

In addition, you can contact the prefecture to request the automatic issuance of a circulation document for foreign minors ( DCEM ) allowing their readmission to France without a visa on presentation of this document accompanied by a travel document. valid (passport or TIV).

Children born in France must request copies of their birth certificate from the town hall of their place of birth.

• Minors placed under the protection of Ofpra before 1st January 2019

Since March 1, 2019, Ofpra no longer issues administrative certificates to minor children. If your children were placed under the protection of the Ofpra during their minority, a letter attesting to their international protection can be requested from Ofpra, by post. This letter will attest to their admission to the benefit of international protection with all the administrations entitled to ask you for proof of their situation with regard to asylum. It is advisable that you keep the original of this document and that you present it, if necessary, accompanied by a photocopy to the administration which requests it.

In addition, at the age of majority (or at 16 if your child wants to exercise a professional activity), and if he has not acquired French nationality, it will be up to him to go to the prefecture of his domicile in order to request a residence permit. He must indicate whether or not he wishes to obtain a residence permit bearing the mention of the international protection from which he benefits.

If your child wishes to continue to benefit from the protection of the Ofpra, no action is necessary with Ofpra. It is therefore no longer necessary for your children to collect an asylum application form from the prefecture, when they reach the age of majority, to continue to benefit from international protection.

If, on the other hand, your child is an adult and no longer wishes to benefit from this protection, he must inform Ofpra by post (if he is still a minor, it will be up to you to take this step). The prefecture will then issue him a common law residence permit. To do this, he must in particular be able to present a passport from his country of origin.

Le suivi des protections internationales accordées aux mineures en raison d’un risque de mutilation sexuelle

L’article L. 561-8 du Ceseda prévoit le contrôle périodique de l’intégrité physique des mineures exposées à un risque de mutilation sexuelle et protégées pour ce motif.

Afin de s’assurer que la protection de l’Office est effective, il est demandé aux représentants légaux de l’enfant mineure bénéficiant du statut de réfugié ou de la protection subsidiaire, conformément à l’article L. 561-8 du Ceseda, de faire passer à cette enfant des examens médicaux constatant l’absence de mutilation sexuelle.

Un délai de cinq ans est observé entre deux examens, sauf si l’Office a des raisons sérieuses de penser qu’une mutilation sexuelle a été pratiquée ou pourrait être pratiquée.

Pour la délivrance de ces certificats médicaux, vous devez impérativement vous conformer à la procédure détaillée ci-dessus, en vous adressant à un médecin en médecine légal.

Le défaut de production de ce certificat médical ou le constat d’une mutilation sexuelle de l’enfant protégée entraîneront un signalement au procureur de la République et au président du Conseil départemental en application de l’article 40 du code de procédure pénale et de l’article 375 du code civil. Il vous est en effet rappelé que  porter atteinte à l’intégrité physique d’une mineure est en France une infraction passible de poursuites pénales.

Enfin, lorsque le/les parents ou représentants légaux d’une enfant mineure placée sous la protection de l’Ofpra en raison d’un risque de mutilation sexuelle sollicitent en son nom la renonciation à son statut, il n’est mis fin à cette protection que si l’Office acquiert, après audition des représentants légaux et instruction, l’absolue conviction que le risque de mutilation sexuelle a cessé d’exister. A contrario, la protection octroyée à l’enfant est maintenue et un signalement est adressé au procureur de la République en application de l’article 40 du code de procédure pénale.

Children of recognised stateless persons

Stateless person status is recognised on a strictly personal basis and cannot be passed on. Parents who believe that their children are deprived of any nationality must send a letter requesting a statelessness application form from Ofpra, which they must then returned duly completed. Please note that, in a bid to prevent the occurrence of cases of statelessness, French legislation provides in Article 19-1 of the French Civil Code for the attribution of French nationality to a child born in France for whom the foreign legislation would not enable the nationality of his/her parent(s) to be passed on.

Others informations

Please note ! Ofpra does not systematically draw up civil status documents or a family record booklet for minors, especially where they do not benefit from the protection of their parent(s) or the conditions are not met for such documents to be drawn up.

In this case, people under Ofpra's protection may show a foreign birth certificate to the Family Benefits Fund (CAF) so that their children can prove their family connection.

Indeed, Article D 512-2 of the French Social Security Code stipulates in Paragraph 3 that the following must be shown: the family record book issued by Ofpra, or failing that, a birth certificate drawn up, where applicable, by this office when the child is a member of the family of a refugee , a stateless person or a beneficiary subsidiary protection .

Protected people can find further information on :