The Republic Of France

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugess Committee

Delegate:Defne ULUCUTSOY
Today's France was founded on a province of the Roman Empire known as Gaul. Its capital is Paris.
Its surface area is 674,843 km². Its population is approximately 63 million. In western Europe, Luxenburg is
bordered by Belgium and the March Sea in the north, with the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Biscay in the
wTest, with Spain and the Mediterranean Sea in the south, with Italy, Switzerland and Germany in the east.
is surrounded.The name france is based on the word francia, which means home of the francars.

France's mother tongue is french and,the French government stated that those wishing to immigrate
would be obliged to learn French, citizenship and republican values.In the following centuries, it
experienced a French renaissance and reform.At the end of the 18th century, it succeeded to be declared a
republic by destroying the monarchy and its institutions.The event that caused this is the French Revolution
in 1789.The French Revolution is a movement that is considered as a reflection of the idea of enlightenment,
which brought the nationalism movement that created the republic by shaking the power of the absolute
monarchy. Fundamental changes have been made in many areas.On the other hand, an atmosphere of peace
could not be established in the country, and both within the country and within the country. Revolts occurred
in the colonies and other European states began to attack France. This situation had a significant impact on
the French immigration. Immigrants who migrated to escape the First World War started to raise riots where
they started to stay.

It has been effective in the experience of the revolution in economic and social events.In the first
world war, France was in the triple entente group, and in the second world war, it was captured by the Nazis
together with the allied states.After the Second World War, France became a permanent member of the
United Nations Security Council and a NATO member, and also France was instrumental in the formation of
the European Union.The French economy is the sixth largest in the world and the second after Germany in
terms of purchasing power.

The population below the poverty line is 7.7% and the unemployment rate is 9.9%.France is the
worlds 10th largest producer of electricity.

The education system in France is very old.The University of Paris, one of the oldest universities in
the world, was founded in 1215.

Since the early 1990s, France has been one of the main countries of destination for refugees and
asylum seekers in Europe. In 2016, the country received a total of 85,000 applications for asylum, the
second highest number in the European Union after Germany.

‘The majority of asylum seekers in France come from Africa, with the top five countries of origin
being Eritrea, Sudan, Guinea, Ivory Coast and 18,000 applications.
 In 2015, refugees from the Syrian conflict made up the largest group of asylum seekers in France.

While the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has followed the policy of "embracing immigrants" in
Europe, he exhibited a harsh "U-turn" in his immigration policy before the local elections and the next
presidential elections.

While blaming EU countries that do not accept immigrants, Macron said in a statement from New
York, "If we want to offer people a dignified life and welcome them properly, we cannot accept everyone."
The government is preparing to introduce a tough new immigration law.
Macron signaled that they will make the refugee admission conditions more difficult, saying, "In order to be
able to host everyone in a humane way, we must cease to be a country that is too attractive for refugees."
Acknowledging that France failed to send back the rejected immigrants, Macron announced that they would
go to new regulations that include 4 important steps "to turn the immigration problem into an economic
opportunity for France". According to this;
* The government will not completely abolish medical aid to immigrants, but will cancel an important part
of the budget, especially the abused parts. Controls will be increased.
* Will respond quickly to refugee applicants. With this change, which Macron announced with the words "to
protect those who need France's protection, to deport others quickly", the refugee admission process will be
accelerated, and policies that cause immigrants to stay without permission for a long time will come to an
end.
* To ensure the rapid integration of those recognized as refugees. To complicate the citizenship conditions,
to raise the level of the French language to B1 level in written and spoken language. To bring strict criteria,
especially in subjects such as language, work, formation.
* Those whose refugee application is not accepted or those who stay in France illegally will be deported
quickly. To prevent more immigrants from waiting for answers under inhumane conditions by establishing
shelters and detention houses, and in tents set up on the streets or in the forests. To build 1500 new detention
houses for this. To exercise special initiative for the implementation of deportation orders.

As part of its efforts to discourage irreqular migration, France has implemented a series of measures
including:

-Creating so-called ‘hotspots’ in Calais and other areas where migrants and refugees are concentrated, with
the aim of faster and more efficient processing of asylum claims.
-Signing agreements with a number of countries of origin and transit, such as Niger and Chad, which allow
for the return of migrants who have entered irregularly.

In terms of increasing its capacity to process and integrate refugees, France has:
-Set up a dedicated asylum office (OFPRA) which is responsible for examining all asylum applications.
-Created a network of welcome and orientation centres (CAOMIIs) across the country where asylum seekers
can receive basic support and information about the asylum process.
-Launched a number of programmes to help refugees integrate into French society, such as language classes
and job-search assistance.