Preliminary Asylum Data for 2022 Released by OFPRA
Introduction
The French Office for Protection of Refugees and Stateless People (OFPRA) has released its preliminary data for asylum applications for the year 2022. According to the data, there has been a significant increase in the number of international protection requests compared to the previous year.
Key Figures of 2022
In 2022, nearly 131,000 applications for international protection were submitted to the OFPRA. This number marks a 27% rise from 2021, a year that was still affected by the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This surge brings the number of applications closer to the level seen in 2019, the year before the pandemic crisis started.
Country of Origin
Afghanistan remains the primary country of origin for asylum seekers for the fifth consecutive year, with over 17,000 initial applications being submitted, a 37% increase compared to the previous year. Other countries with a high number of asylum seekers include Bangladesh (8,600), Turkey (8,500), Georgia (8,100), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (5,900).
Overseas Departments
In the French overseas departments, there has been a slight upward trend in the number of asylum applications. In the French departments of America, there were 4,420 applications, a 5% increase, while in Mayotte, there were 4,020 applications, an 8% increase.
OFPRA’s Actions in 2022
OFPRA, in the fall of 2022, opened an outpost in Mamoudzou (Mayotte) to handle the introduction of asylum applications and the personal notification of decisions. Over the course of the year, the Office conducted several missions, both within and outside the European Union, to interview asylum seekers and meet France’s commitments regarding relocation and resettlement. In total, the Office made nearly 134,500 decisions during the year 2022.
Processing Time and Protection Rate
The average processing time, which had exceeded 8.5 months in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, was reduced to 5.2 months in 2022, reaching a low of 4 months by the end of the year. The protection rate, which relates positive decisions to all decisions of the year, stood at 29%, a rise of about three points compared to the previous year.
Conclusion
Despite the return to pre-pandemic levels of demand, the Office was able to keep the dynamic of reducing the number of pending requests, which stood at about 47,000 at the end of the year. Attention was particularly focused on processing the oldest cases, reducing the share of cases over a year old to 3.4% by the end of the year. Furthermore, the Office carried out nearly 43,200 civil status acts for people granted international protection.
Significance
This data provides a comprehensive overview of the asylum situation in France and the OFPRA’s response to it. It provides valuable insights for policy makers, researchers, and those interested in immigration issues. Understanding these trends can help in the development of strategies and policies to address the challenges faced by asylum seekers and the host country.
Reference:
OFPRA – Les premières données de l’asile 2022 à l’Ofpra sont disponibles [Chiffres provisoires]
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