Life While Waiting: Experiencing the Asylum Application in France
Life While Waiting: Experiencing the Asylum Application in France

Author(s): Carolina Kobelinsky
Subject(s): Migration Studies, Asylum, Refugees, Migration as Policy-fields
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: Asylum; France; Palestine; Edona; Gazmadh;
Summary/Abstract: It is half past ten. Edona and Gazmadh Bashe finish their coffee and sit around the small round table, next to the bed that was already made. Gazmadh goes downstairs to the first floor where the social workers’ offices are to look for his mail. He then goes to the ground floor, at the entrance of the reception center for asylum-seekers (CADA), where smokers sometimes gather. He meets Omar, a neighbor from his hallway, and a “Russian from the fourth floor” whose name hedoesn’t know. They talk about the weather, go out to smoke, have two cigarettes.They say hello to those who come in, to those who go out. Edona, on the other hand, goes to wash the cups in the shared kitchen. I go with her. There is already a lady there preparing lunch. Back in the room, Edona turns on the television,mutes it, takes out a small French dictionary and a paperback she borrowed from the municipal library. She systematically looks up the definitions of all the words she doesn’t know, asks me them “to make sure,” and then writes them down on a blue notepad. Gazmadh comes back. Edona asks him if there was any mail.“No” he replies. He turns the sound on the TV back on and stretches out on the bed. Edona continues to read. I leave. […]

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