Living

Last update : October 2019
 living  france

If you are an asylum seeker and you are over 18 years of age, you are entitled to the Asylum Seeker Allowance (ADA). Its amount depends on the number of people in your family, and whether the OFII offers you accommodation or not.

Currently (August), the ADA is €6.80 per day for a single person, €10.20 for two people, then €3.40 per additional person, if the OFII has offered you accommodation. If the OFII has not offered you accommodation, you must receive an additional €7.40 per person per day.

For example, a family of 5 people :
10.20 € (the first two people) + 3 x 3.40 € (the other three people) = 20.40 € per day, i.e. 612 € per month.
If no accommodation has been offered for the family of five people, they will receive an additional 7.40 € x 5 people = 37 € per day, i.e. 1110 € for a 30-day month.

You can find up-to-date information about the ADA here :
https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F33314

ATTENTION: in order to receive the ADA, certain conditions must be met:

  • to have accepted the material conditions of reception proposed by the Ofii,
  • be at least 18 years old,
  • be in possession of the asylum seeker’s certificate,
  • have monthly resources that are less than the amount of the Active Solidarity Income (RSA),
  • have lodged your asylum application with Ofpra within 21 days (except for the Dublin procedure)

The administration may suspend the payment of the ADA if :

  • you have refused an offer of accommodation,
  • you did not comply with the obligation to report to the authorities or did not attend personal interviews,
  • you have abandoned, without just cause, your place of lodging,
  • you cease to qualify for the allowance,
  • you do not produce the documents requested.

The administration can withdraw your ADA if :

  • if you have concealed all or part of your resources,
  • or if you have provided false information about your family situation,
  • or if you have had violent behaviour or serious breaches of the rules of the place of accommodation.

If you believe that the administration has wrongfully refused, withdrawn or suspended you from the ADA, you can appeal. Do not hesitate to ask for help from an association: mistakes and abuses by the administration are not exceptional. See here (at the bottom of the page, section on Asylum Seekers Allowance):
https://www.gisti.org/spip.php?article5118

[Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)]