Who are we ? 

Dom’Asile is a French association, created in 1999 by important NGOs in France : La Cmade, Le Secours Catholique, la Mission Populaire Evangélique and the Entraides Protestantes of the Paris area. 

The very first purpose of Dom’Asile was to allow asylm seekers having a free and reliable personal address and access to a mail distribution service. In addition to this, Dom’Asile provides them assistance and support by helping them carrying out different procedures such as:  asylum procedures (prefecture, OFPRA file, appeal… ), and the procedures that give them access to their economical and social rights (health insurance, bank account opening, allowances, transport). 

200 volunteers are maintaining Dom’Asile’s activities in no less than 13 centres, covering 7 departments in the Ile-de-France area. The centres are housed in buildings pertaining to its founding NGOs. 

Two full-time coordinators are in charge of the organization of all activites ; they provide technical guidance to the volunteers regarding all administrative procedures and face up to public services when trying to find solution to sylum seeker problematic situations. The third member of the team is a full-time interpreter (specialist of hindi, bengal and urdu languages) : he helps asylum seekers better understand the procedures and details of their situation, and gives a handful to organize the centres’ activities. 

Dom’Asile gives regular support to nearly 10000 asylum seekers throughout their asylum claim procedure. 

Besides the centres’ activity, Dom’Asile stands next to various associations in order to defend the asylum right and its implementation in France. The association has good knowledge of the administrations’ practices (and therefore sadly including the unfair and illegal practices), and can shed light on these questions at a regional level, with an impact other and smaller associations working in the field do not always have. 

Full-time workers salaries and operating expenses (renting a desk,  etc.) represent most of the expenses of the association. Dom’Asile’s income is mostly constituted of grants from funding NGOs, subventions from local and regional government, and private donation. 

You will find more information about Dom’Asile, along with news about asylum right in France and reference documentation in the website : www.domasile.org