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1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020

Follow-up of your request

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History of asylum and Ofpra

The first international refugee status was created following World War I (1914-18), and Ofpra has been protecting refugees and stateless persons since 1952.

We invite you to follow this journey on our historical timeline! This chronology focuses on the history of the refugee status in France during the 20th and 21st centuries. It summarises the main texts adopted by France, the international and national institutions created for the protection of refugees, and the nationalities making the most frequent asylum requests, as well as the major events which have played a key role in these applications. It is important to note that there is not always a correlation between the rate of applications and an historic event.

Follow-up of your request

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Discover the 1970s

1970's

1971

France ratifies the (Bellagio) Protocol Concerning Refugee Status signed in New York on 31 January 1967 which lifts the temporal and geographic restrictions included in the 1951 Convention: asylum requests may now be received from all over the world, and fears of persecution no longer have to be due to events occurring before 1 January 1951.

1973

The first Chilean asylum applications were presented to OFPRA in 1973.

In Chile, coup d’état against Salvador Allende in 1973, and suppression

 

 

Bombardment of the Chilean government building by the Chilean Air Force in 1973.

Coup d'état au Chili-1973
© Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile

1974

The Oil Crisis leads France, like many other European countries, to close her borders against economic immigration.

1975

Start of Operation Condor, assassination campaign and anti-guerrilla struggles led jointly by the secret services of Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Fall of Saigon and installation of a Communist dictatorship throughout Vietnam.
Flight of the first “boat people”.

 


Arrival of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong, 1981.
 

© UNHCR/J.Micaud

1976

From 1976 most of the applications registered at OFPRA come from Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians.
Numerous applications from Latin American countries (particularly Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay) are also registered, although there are fewer of these.
Installation of a Communist regime at Laos.

 

 

Laotian refugees at Nong Khai Camp, HCR.

© UNHCR/Mohammed Benamar

1979

In 1979, fearing destabilisation, Thailand – where thousands of communist guerrilleros are fighting – and Malaysia turn away refugees en masse, stirring up strong emotions internationally.
All the Asiatic countries work with the HCR for the repatriation of refugees, or their resettlement in Western countries.
From 1975 to 1992, about 1.6 million refugees (1,1 million Vietnamese, 300,000 Laotians, and 248,000 Cambodians) are resettled in Western countries, including 118,379 in France, the fourth leading host country.