French and Other Selected European Perspectives on Asylum

This is a report of a conference, "Lesréfugiés en France et en Europe:Quarante ans d'application de laConvention de Genève 1952-1992,"which took place on June 11-13 in Paris,organized by the Office francais deprotection des réfugiés et apatrides(OFPRA).Any conference held in theinternational conference centre in Paris,a showcase of the French Foreign AffairsDepartment, could only be an officialone. An alternative gathering convenedsimultaneously. But since the Frenchreadilyagreeto disagree, somedivergentperspectives on their past and presentgovemment policies and services werecourteously voiced at this first everOFPRA conference-on the rostrum,that is, since the masses were kept silentand their written questions filtered onoccasion.A VIP set-up was not foolproof.Some distinguished governmentofficiaIs and guests were forced, alongwith others, into an overflow room towatch the proceedings on a screen. Likestates, the conference had a welcomingstaff that did not exercise border controlin the early hours of the influx.