In addition to the political provisions relating to the reception and integration of refugees in France, and feedback from host organisations and artists in residence, this day also provided an opportunity to explore the mechanisms for supporting refugees in their professional and civic integration.

Refugiés.info /

Designed with refugees in mind through a series of test phases, this platform was conceived as a tool to support integration. Without taking the place of the authorities or the people concerned, the application and the Refigiés.info website explain and translate the administrative steps required in their regularisation and integration process.

Created in 2019 and supported by the DIAIR (Délégation interministérielle à l'accueil et à l'intégration des réfugiés), this is an aid that lists reliable information translated into easy-to-understand French to make it more accessible and help exiles become more autonomous. Certain concepts and acronyms are also explained, such as the CAF or the prerogatives of the prefecture.

To counteract word-of-mouth, which can be erroneous and incomplete, particular attention is paid to accessibility. With this in mind, translation is carried out by experts and there is also a function for listening to the content. The site is updated regularly to ensure that it meets needs as closely as possible.

The site lists 924 institutions in France. They include support centres, social and cultural organisations working to help people integrate into society, particularly by helping them learn French, training organisations, people specialising in housing or health, etc.

There are two versions of the site: one for carers and one for refugees. Designed as a mediation tool to act as an intermediary between these two positions, the site offers easy access to information sheets, for example by allowing direct sharing by text message. This saves time for both the beneficiary and the carer.

For more information, visit Refugiés.info.

Centre de ressources illettrisme et maîtrise de la langue / Literacy and language resource centre

The Centre de ressources illettrisme et maîtrise de la langue is part of the Ministry of Education's GRETA network, which organises adult education courses. It works to reduce the number of people affected by a lack of language skills.

Resource centres are located throughout France to ensure access to lifelong learning. The centres have a catalogue of training courses ranging from half a day to a full day, with the option of distance learning via videoconferencing. It is also possible to train people who provide support to those who need it, as well as those who want to improve their language skills.

This organisation also has a freephone number for anyone experiencing difficulties with the language, to provide initial guidance.

A number of teaching approaches are offered, based on three identified profiles: illiteracy (people who have learnt to read and count but have not managed to put their knowledge into practice or have lost the ability to do so), language proficiency and literacy (people who have never learnt to read or have not been to school at all).