Author
According to French law, refugees obtain a long-term resident status from the moment they are granted asylum. At the first renewal, they may ipso jure be issued permanent resident status.[1] This requires however proving their proficiency in French,[2] and their presence must not be a threat to the public order.[3]
The threat to the public order is assessed in practice through the potential criminal sentences passed against the third-country national. No systematic discrimination against specific nationalities has been reported in this regard. The difficulty encountered to benefit from this status is more likely linked to a lack of information. As mentioned in the law, this status has to be claimed. Ipso jure has to be interpreted as the fact it cannot be denied if a third-country national, complying with the conditions listed by legal provisions, asks for it. Prefectures, at the renewal of the first residence permit, do not automatically indicate to refugees they can be issued such a document.
[1] Article L. 426-4 Ceseda.
[2] Ibid. and Article L.413-7 Ceseda.
[3] Article L. 412-5 Ceseda.