In a special report made public earlier this week, the auditors found that the wait time for refugee status is outrageously long, with costs more than doubling in the last five years. Moreover, the report showed that a whopping 96% of persons who have been refused refugee status are nonetheless able to stay in France illegally.
Although the findings were sent to the prime minister's office back in July, they were only made public on Tuesday. The auditors recommended a radical overhaul of France's system for dealing with asylum requests.
The Court of Auditors found that the burden on the state budget associated with asylum seekers has grown even more quickly than the number of would-be refugees themselves. The report estimated that between 2009 and 2014, the number of people seeking refugee status in France has grown by 36%, while the costs associated with assisting them have risen by 54%.
The report also suggested that the procedure for determining a person's eligibility for refugee status is far too drawn out, longer than it is in many other EU countries. However, RFI explains that the country's legislators have recently passed laws to reduce the waiting period from two years to nine months.
No Control Over Migrants Rejected Refugee Status
Another problem faced by the country's system of asylum provision is said to be the lack of effective controls for those who have been rejected refugee status. According to Court of Auditors' chief Didier Migaud, France faces "extremely low rates of expulsion when it comes to foreigners who have been denied asylum."
The Court estimates that an incredible 96% of would-be refugees denied refugee status nonetheless remain in France. According to the auditing body, only 7% of these refugees face the prospect of being expelled from the country, compared with 17% among other categories of illegal immigrants. Compiled using figures from the interior ministry, the report revealed that among the 40,000 persons denied refugee status in 2014, a mere 1,400 were forced to leave the country.
RFI notes that ultimately, "the Court of Auditors' report makes for a conclusion which is very unpleasant for the government: that the French state factually is factually unable to control the foreigners denied asylum who chose to stay in France."
A Damning 'Gift' to Country's Right Wing Parties
RFI pointed out that the Court of Auditors' report has naturally provided France's right wing with a "gift" which could be used during elections.
National Front vice-president Florian Philippot suggested that the report is "damning" to the current government, proving that the country's "laws are not being enforced, while the costs of the procedure have risen sharply, as have the numbers of asylum seekers." The politician noted that the auditors' findings demand "decisive reforms in the country's laws on the provision of asylum."
Attempting to soften the blow, RFI suggested that the situation may not actually be as catastrophic as right wing politicians suggest, pointing out that France is only fourth in Europe when it comes to the provision of would-be refugees with asylum (after Germany, Italy, and Sweden).
Moreover, according to RFI, over the past two years, the number of refugee applications has stabilized at about 65,000 persons (.1% of the population). This, RFI notes, is a far cry from the situation in Germany, which could receive as many as a million refugees this year. With between 75-80% of refugee applications expected to be rejected, the French radio station notes that would-be refugees are not rushing to apply for asylum in the republic, opting instead for countries like Germany, where refugees are granted asylum more quickly and easily.
