Some 200 Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have found refuge in France. They had to leave part of their family behind and do not know if the status granted to them by the French authorities will allow them to one day return home.
“The intensive bombings, the fear and the danger… I did not hesitate long before leaving”, explains Bassam*, a Gazan now a refugee in France. It has been almost five months since Israeli shells and missiles have been raining down on the Gaza Strip. Since the attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, during which nearly 1,200 people were killed, Israel has relentlessly shelled the Palestinian territory. The strikes left more than 30,000 dead, according to the latest count from the Gaza Ministry of Health, administered by Hamas. From this enclave, described as “open-air prison” According to Human Rights Watch, few were able to escape.
Bassam left with his children and his wife. Like 210 other people, specifies the France Horizon association, he was repatriated by France via Cairo (Egypt) before boarding a plane chartered by Paris. But his entire family was not able to benefit from the diplomatic protection granted by France. “Even today, I receive a lot of requests from relatives who ask me how to get out of this hell”explains the father, who now lives in the South. “My mother, my brothers, my sisters and my friends stayed.”
Slow repatriations
His case is reminiscent of that of the Abu Shamla family. Ahmed, the father, an agent at the French Institute in Gaza, was offered to be repatriated to France. His wife and two of his children were also on the list as beneficiaries, but not his four eldest children, all of whom were adults.. His wife and the youngest flew to Paris, but Ahmed decided to stay alongside the four oldest. A refugee in Rafah, in the south of Gaza, he died on December 16 after being injured by an Israeli bombardment three days earlier.
The elders have since been repatriated. “Fathers and mothers must be killed for us to act”, denounces Véronique Hollebecque, member of the France Palestine Solidarity Association (AFPS). In this case, communist senator Pascal Savoldelli claims to have intervened with the French consulate in Jerusalem to speed up obtaining the passes. “I wrote to the consul to inform him that there was a city [Ivry-Sur-Seine] and a department that was ready to welcome them”tells the elected official from Val-de-Marne to franceinfo.
Green light from Israel needed
Because it is the French consulate which defines the list of people to be evacuated, which is then transmitted to the Israeli and Egyptian authorities, who give the green light… or not. In the case of Assia*, a Gazoui mother who has taken refuge in France for several months, Israel seems to have been a hindrance in the evacuation of her family: “I asked the French authorities to add relatives to the lists as soon as I got out. I was told it was very complicated and that the Israelis controlled everything.” They finally reached “to go out on their own” from the Gaza Strip, Assia says with relief.
These evacuations difficult questions raise the question of the conditions to be met to appear on the list. Some eligible people, such as French citizens and rights holders, are still present in Gaza. “U“an agent of the French consulate is still there, while his wife and children are in France.”assures Razan Nidal, head of the National Committee for Reception and Support for Survivors of the Genocide in Palestine, an association which helps them.
The question of refugee status
Palestinians coming from Gaza must go through the standard asylum application procedure with the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (Ofpra). And the uncertainty that goes with it. “We have no idea what status we will benefit from. Will it be subsidiary protection or refugee status?” Bassam asks. The first confers fewer rights than the second and offers a four-year renewable residence permit, compared to ten for refugees.
In a decision rendered by the National Court of Asylum (CNDA), which deals with the appeals of people whose request was rejected by Ofpra, it was subsidiary protection which was retained: on February 12, it granted asylum to a national of the Gaza Strip, considering that he was running “a real risk of suffering a serious threat against one’s life or person” given the situation. It was the first decision since the start of the war, intended to set a precedent. “It is a safe bet that Ofpra will grant the right of asylum to applicants from now on”projects the CNDA, contacted by franceinfo.
Files processed quickly
Like Assia, repatriated people say they did not have to wait long in their procedures: “In a short time, we had meetings with the French Office for Immigration and Integration and the prefecture. A week later, we received the decision concerning housingexplains the Palestinian. Most of the people I know have already obtained appointments with Ofpra.” Contacted by franceinfo, the organization did not wish to reveal the number of applications filed by people of Palestinian origin since October 7, nor the proportion of those accepted and rejected. The Quai d’Orsay did not respond to our requests either.
The responsiveness of certain institutions is also highlighted by certain associations, mobilized to organize reception. “Our relationship with the French Office for Immigration and Integration works very well, there has not been a single time where we have been confronted with a complicated situation, every time we contact them, It’s resolved directly.”testifies Razan Nidal. This speed of processing of files contrasts with the fate reserved for other asylum candidates. “People working at France Horizon explained to us that some families are still waiting for a response, a year and a half after their appointment”underlines Assia.
Not ideal protection
It must be said that the associations are working to support these new arrivals, particularly non-French speakers. “I know that administration in this country is a lot, a lot of papersconfides Bassam. Fortunately, France Terre d’Asile and other pro-Palestinian associations are preparing us for the interviews.” A WhatsApp group bringing together Gazans present in France has also been created. “It allows us to exchange ideas with each other and get feedback from each other”adds the refugee.
The fact remains that, even if asylum will be more easily granted, it is not ideal for these Palestinians who hope one day to return to Gaza, once the war is over. An option that is irreconcilable with this refugee status, which allows you to travel anywhere except in your country of origin, as specifies the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“I want to go back and forth after the war, especially with my children so that they don’t forget their country and the city in which they were born, but I think that with the status that we will obtain, we will not “We’re not going to have much of a choice.”
Bassam, Palestinian refugeeat franceinfo
For this reason, “some don’t ask for asylum”says Véronique Hollebecque, who campaigns for temporary humanitarian protection. A status granted since March 4, 2022 to Ukrainians who found refuge in Europe following the Russian invasion. Concretely, this protection makes it possible to obtain a one-year renewable residence permit giving access to housing, the job market, medical care, financial assistance, etc. This is the first time since its creation in 2001 that this measure has been activated.
Flaws in medical monitoring
The status of asylum seeker also limits access to care. Palestinian exiles must wait three months to benefit from universal health protection, except urgent cases defined by the Ministry of the Interior. “For people who have just left a war zone and left their families behind, the medical and psychological care is not up to par”deplores Razan Nidal.
Even once registered with Health Insurance, they can be held back by the cost of certain treatments. “JI went to the emergency room. After the consultation, I was asked to pay 40 euros and given a quote, because I had consulted a specialistsays Assia. The staff was not able to tell me if Medicare would cover part of the cost.” Bassam and his family sought counseling to address anxiety disorders and anxiety created by the conflict.
“I asked for an Arabic-speaking practitioner, because I particularly fear that the war will remain anchored in the minds of my children.”
Bassam, Palestinian refugeeat franceinfo
This request has remained unanswered for the moment, due to the lack of a doctor with the required language skills.
Imperfect reception conditions
France Horizon, the association mandated by the State to ensure the reception of returnees, explains that it provides them with “first social assessment” upon their arrival. But once distributed in accommodation centers, not everyone benefits from psychological monitoring. In Périgueux, in Dordogne, “it was discussed for the families who arrived here, but it was not implemented”illustrates Véronique Hollebecque. Here again, the situation contrasts with the resources invested for Ukrainian refugees: the State had a network of medical-psychological emergency cells operating aimed at supporting patients in French or Ukrainian.
For Razan Nidal, these difficulties illustrate the shortcomings of the reception system put in place for Palestinian people, but also for any other asylum seeker in France. “There has not been a specific effort for people coming from the Gaza Strip, and that is good in a senseshe says. We are not saying that Gazans deserve to have a better welcome than others, but we are asking that everyone deserves to have access to dignified reception conditions.”
* First names have been changed.