Resettlement allows refugees to enter a third country legally and safely. Resettlement involves the selection and transfer of refugees from a state in which they have sought protection to another state that accepts them as refugees with permanent resident status. However, there are only a few places available. Each country independently determines the number of resettlement places and the countries from which refugees will be admitted. Each year, the number of people wishing to be resettled far exceeds the number of places available.
Resettlement is not a legal right.
Resettlement applications are made from the country in which you or a family member/relative live as a refugee. In this country, UNHCR is responsible for assessing the need for resettlement and deciding whether a case should be referred for resettlement. UNHCR identifies people for resettlement in accordance with the vulnerability criteria defined in the Resettlement Handbook. The asylum/migration authorities of resettlement countries then decide which cases to accept for resettlement. This decision is, among other things, based on the allocation by the resettlement countries of their quota/ resettlement places.
The UNHCR office in France is not responsible for selecting people to be resettled from a third country. If you currently have an ongoing resettlement procedure underway or would like information on resettlement, you can contact UNHCR in the country where you currently live.
There is no resettlement program from France.
For more information on resettlement and how it works, you can consult the UNHCR resettlement webpage. UNHCR also has a brochure with frequently asked questions about resettlement, available here.