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The French government has removed Benin, Ghana and Senegal from the list of so-called safe countries in OFPRA, the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons in France. In the latter two countries, the goal is to protect LGBT citizens who are exposed to discrimination. Asylum seekers from these three West African countries in France now have the opportunity to appeal if their first asylum application is rejected at first instance.
“Growing homophobia is pulling France back from Senegal from safe countries.” “LGBT oppression, Senegal on the blacklist”. The headlines are many this Saturday, July 3, in the Senegalese press, in response to the government decision to remove three West African countries from the list of so-called OFPRA-safe countries, the French office’s protection of refugees and stateless persons. people.
Since 2019, France has allowed France to refuse appeals from asylum seekers who are nationals of the 16 countries it contains.
Benin had already been interrupted in September for only 12 months by OFPRA due to repeated violations of civil liberties. The Minister knocks him off the list.
In the case of Ghana and Senegal, the French Supreme Administrative Court withdraws them from safe countries because of “legislative provisions punishing homosexual relations” and “perseverance in behavior, encouraged, favored or simply tolerated by the authorities of those countries.”
►To listen: Senegal, the LGBTI community was sentenced to silence
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