Follow-up of your request

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1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020

Follow-up of your request

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History of asylum and Ofpra

The first international refugee status was created following World War I (1914-18), and Ofpra has been protecting refugees and stateless persons since 1952.

We invite you to follow this journey on our historical timeline! This chronology focuses on the history of the refugee status in France during the 20th and 21st centuries. It summarises the main texts adopted by France, the international and national institutions created for the protection of refugees, and the nationalities making the most frequent asylum requests, as well as the major events which have played a key role in these applications. It is important to note that there is not always a correlation between the rate of applications and an historic event.

Follow-up of your request

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Discover the 1980s

1980's

1980

Fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, who had been committing genocide since 1975.

 

 

 

Cambodian refugees arriving at Khao I Dang Camp, HCR.

© UNHCR/M.Munz

Hardening of the François Duvalier regime (1971-2011).
Hardening of the Mobutu regime (1965-1997).
Sri-Lankan civil war between the armed Tamil movements, notably the Tamil Tigers of Eelam, and the Sinhalese majority government (1983-2009)

In the early 1980s asylum requests are diversified with the new originating countries of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), Sri Lanka and Haiti.

In early 1980 Ofpra moves to the Tour Pariféric, 6 Rue Émile Raynaud, at Aubervilliers. 
Staff reductions at the Office mean they are unable to cope with the increase in the number of asylum requests, which has gone from 1500 a year in 1971 to 20,000 a year in 1980.

1981

Coup d’état in Turkey (1981); conflict in Kurdistan.

Asylum requests from Turkey become one of the most common requests recorded at OFPRA.

Occupation of Afghanistan by the URSS.

Asylum requests presented by Afghans begin to appear during the 1980s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afghans passing the Durand Line into Pakistan in 1985.

© Erwin Franzen, CC BY-SA 1.0

1984

Angolan civil war (1975-1992)
Proclamation of the Islamic Republic in Iran: Ayatollah Khomeini becomes supreme ruler (1979); war with Iraq (1980-1988)

There is a big increase in the number of Iranian asylum requests in 1984.

1985

On 14 June 1985 France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands sign the Schengen Agreement which stipulates the progressive realisation of the free movement  of people within the “Schengen Area”, without border controls at the internal borders of this area.

Schengen Agreement signed 14/06/1985, exhibited at the European Museum Schengen, Luxembourg.

© DR

1989

Fall of the Berlin Wall.
First spike in asylum requests: over 60,000 applications made during the year.
Reform of OFPRA: tripling of staff numbers, reorganisation, computerisation.
The services move to “Le Forez” building, 45 Rue Maximilien Robespierre at Val de Fontenay.