Source description last updated: 3 February 2020

In brief: The Office Français de Protection des Réfugiés et Apatrides (OFPRA) is a French government office responsible for processing applications for refugee or statelessness status.

Coverage on ecoi.net:

Query responses and fact-finding mission reports

Covered monthly on ecoi.net, for countries of priorities A-E (all available countries).

Mission/Mandate/Objectives:

The Office Français de Protection des Réfugiés et Apatrides (OFPRA), founded in 1952, is “responsible for the implementation of the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1954 New York Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.”

“Since 2010, OFPRA has been operating under the authority of the [French] Ministry of the Interior.” According to OFPRA, “[t]his tutelage pertains to financial and administrative matters and does not affect in any way OFPRA’s functional independence. In fact, article 7 of the [French] 2015 asylum law […] stipulates that ‘the Office implements its objectives with complete impartiality (…) and while doing so, does not receive any instructions’.” (OFPRA website: Présentation générale, last updated 8 August 2018, working translation by ACCORD)

“The Information, Documentation and Research Division (DIDR) is an Ofpra department in charge of providing all staff with reliable, objective, transparent and updated information on the countries of origin of applicants for international protection”, with a view to “support[ing] the decision-making process.” (OFPRA: Information, Documentation and Research Division (D.I.D.R.), undated)

The DIDR “offers research services upon request to protection officers where supplementary information is needed in order to study a case file.” (OFPRA website: La DIDR, last updated 14 November 2018, working translation by ACCORD)

Funding:

Government funds and EU grants

Scope of reporting:

Geographic focus: all countries of origin of asylum-seekers

Thematic focus: political and human rights situation, security situation, ethnic or religious minorities, gender-related issues, socioeconomic conditions etc.

Methodology:

OFPRA (DIDR) query responses are based on publicly available information such as reports from governments, think tanks, academic institutions and NGOs, media articles, books (see, for example, OFPRA (DIDR): Le « clan Pahlawan » de Faryab : Réseaux, influence et heritage, 17 June 2019, pp. 11-13) and social media posts (OFPRA (DIDR): Le parti Pitit Dessalines et la Force de l’opposition progressiste (FOP) depuis l’élection de Jovenel Moïse le 20 novembre 2016, 17 June 2019, p. 15). Sources are referenced by means of footnotes and a bibliography is provided at the end of each query response (see, for example, (OFPRA (DIDR): Le parti Pitit Dessalines et la Force de l’opposition progressiste (FOP) depuis l’élection de Jovenel Moïse le 20 novembre 2016, 17 June 2019, OFPRA (DIDR): Le « clan Pahlawan » de Faryab : Réseaux, influence et heritage, 17 June 2019 and OFPRA (DIDR): La minorité ouïgoure, 6 June 2019).

The DIDR includes three research sections each specialized in a particular geographic zone (Africa, Asia/America and Europe/Middle East) (OFPRA website: La DIDR, last updated 14 November 2018).

“About twice a year, OFPRA organises fact-finding missions to countries of origin of asylum-seekers. These missions are conducted in collaboration with the [French] National Court of Asylum (CNDA) and often also with a counterpart from another European country. Their objective is to collect information on the situation in the country and to establish contacts especially with civil society groups (associations, NGOs etc.).” (OFPRA website: Les publications de l'Ofpra, 15 October 2019, working translation by ACCORD)

Fact-finding mission reports are based on both publicly accessible information and interviews with local informants such as government bodies and NGOs. The reports include a list of oral sources (interviewees) consulted during the mission and a bibliography of written public sources at the end. Sources are referenced in the text body by means of footnotes. (see, for example, OFPRA/CNDA: Rapport de mission en Arménie du 15 au 21 juillet 2018, September 2019 and OFPRA/CNDA: Rapport de mission en Géorgie du 22 au 28 juillet 2018, 18 December 2018).

The DIDR uses “a style guide and a specific working methodology” drawn up on the basis of the Common EU Guidelines for processing Country of Origin Information (COI).

“Section managers are responsible for quality control of documents drafted by research officers.” (OFPRA: Information, Documentation and Research Division (D.I.D.R.), undated).

 

Languages of publication:

French and English (Query responses contain abstracts in both languages.)

 

All links accessed 3 February 2020.