Abroad, the reception of migrants in France often gets a bad press. There are many reports on illegal immigrants and poor reception conditions. A recent report by the Court of Auditors on the reception of Ukrainian refugees in France, however, tends to shake this myth and demonstrate the contrary. Although the reception of those who had to flee Ukraine following the Russian invasion has mainly focused on nearby countries (Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova), since the beginning of the offensive Russia, France took in 115,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. A year later, everyone agrees to underline the rapidity of action by the State and the administrations to deal with what represented the largest movement of refugees in Europe since the Second World War.
As of March 4, 2022, barely two weeks after Russian troops entered Ukraine, the country was mobilizing to receive those who first presented themselves in the eastern border regions, where more than 80,000 people been welcomed. In what the rapporteurs describe as “unprecedented mobilization of the French”, more than 87,000 accommodation places have been created in a few weeks, of which 60,000 are still active. “The state has really mobilized to offer accommodation and all the help possible,” confirms Anar Lutfaliyev, president of the association for aid to Ukrainian refugees France Ukraine News. “We felt real support in the population. Some French people even seek Ukrainians in Poland to offer them help. »
Original initiatives
Several regions have redoubled their imagination to welcome families in need. In Paris, we requisitioned a hall at the Parc des expositions where more than 1,000 people a day were welcomed at the height of the crisis. In Marseille, from the beginning of May 2022, 900 refugees were housed on a ferry from the French company Corsica Linea, which usually connects Marseille to Algiers. In this same city, a special telephone number made it possible to pick up displaced people 24 hours a day anywhere in the city in order to offer them emergency accommodation.
In addition, 44,000 citizens who volunteered to provide accommodation resources. In total, 21,000 people were thus able to receive emergency accommodation. Not to mention the spontaneous generosity of the French who went directly to offer their help near stations, for example. This is why, while traveling in Essonne last week, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne spoke of an “exceptional commitment”.
The issuance of a provisional residence permit (APS) for six months (renewable) automatically offered refugees an emergency allowance, housing assistance, the right to work, to receive free treatment anywhere in France and to register their children to school and even daycare for free. Thus, 19,000 Ukrainian children have been educated in French schools. Not to mention 1266 students in higher education.
But the main shock caused by this massive arrival was neither the number nor the origin, but the fact that 80% of them were women. “The profile of Ukrainians under temporary protection in France contrasts with the usual asylum seekers, writes Rachel Binhas in the weekly Marianne. When the country generally receives rather young, single men, the authorities have had to take care of women with children and sometimes accompanied by an elderly person. »
Some observers have deduced from this that France was for once welcoming “real refugees” who were not looking for simple economic asylum. In Greece, a country yet overwhelmed by asylum seekers, the Minister for Migration, Notis Mitarachi, did not hesitate to plead in favor of welcoming those he called “real refugees”.
Preferential treatment ?
Some migrant aid associations have on the contrary castigated a two-speed reception and denounced the difference in treatment with migrants from Africa. For these associations, all asylum seekers should enjoy the facilities offered to Ukrainians. “The APS is linked to an exceptional situation. We obviously cannot offer it to everyone,” says Anar Lutfaliyev, on the contrary. This is also the opinion of the Director General of the French Office for Immigration and Integration, Didier Leschi. “Ukrainians are there temporarily, when the conflict is over, most plan to return to their country,” he told AFP. Release. To the point where, he says, this reception was not even “considered as a migratory question”.
This difference with the clientele of asylum seekers is also explained by the fact that France is known to be the destination of last resort for asylum seekers who have often been rejected in one or more other European countries. Unlike the Ukrainians, they almost always come to settle there. Even those whose application is rejected generally do not leave the country, thus becoming for the most part illegals.
Sign of their desire to leave, a large number of Ukrainian refugees did not wish to learn French. Children, even schooled in France, often follow online education given by Ukrainian schools. But with the war dragging on, the question of integration could become more important. This is why the Prime Minister now speaks of “accompanying [les réfugiés] to housing, employment and language learning”.
Even if the “temporary protection” status decreed by the European Union has been extended until March 2025, it seems obvious that France will find it difficult to maintain this exceptional financial effort which has already cost it 634 million euros. “If the conflict persists, it will be necessary to settle such concrete questions as knowing in which country these refugees will make their tax return since they are still considered by Kiev as Ukrainian residents”, says Anar Lutfaliyev. In the meantime, he said, the priority is obviously that this war ends.