France essentials

Immigration

Asylum applications up 27% in 2022

Nearly 131,000 asylum applications were filed in France in 2022, up 27% year-on-year, figures close to record levels reached before the Covid crisis, according to data from the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and stateless people. Asylum seekers come primarily from Afghanistan (17,000 applications), ahead of Bangladesh (8,600), Turkey (8,500), Georgia (8,100) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (5,900) .

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Right

Jean-Éric Gicquel, new ethics officer of the Assembly

The constitutionalist Jean-Éric Gicquel, professor of public law at the University of Rennes, was appointed ethics officer of the National Assembly on Wednesday January 18, succeeding Christophe Pallez, announced the presidency of the institution. This independent function created in 2011 is mainly responsible for the missions of prevention and management of conflicts of interest and control of the expenses of mandate of the deputies. It must also alert the office in the event of a breach. Since 2019, the ethics officer can be contacted by any alleged victim of sexist acts, sexual assault or sexual or moral harassment at the Palais-Bourbon.

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Health

Bronchiolitis and flu recede

The flu epidemic has continued to decline in recent days in France, Public Health France announced on Wednesday January 18. Declining in all regions and all age groups, the flu remains at an epidemic stage throughout the metropolis and the health agency recalls that “an upward recovery in the indicators is still possible” . The bronchiolitis epidemic has also receded, and is even over in Île-de-France.

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