Situation of Hussam Hammoud - Q&A - (September 8, 2022)

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Q: Hussam Hammoud was refused a humanitarian visa despite his well-known work as a journalist. Can you explain this decision?

A: The visa for asylum-seekers is a unique tool in Europe, which France offers on an exceptional basis in response to an especially clear and urgent need for protection. France issued about a thousand of these visas in 2021 and more than 600 in 2022, mostly to Syrians and Afghans.

This exception mechanism depends on an objective determination of the current personal threat facing applicants, not only in their country of origin but in the country in which they applied for the visa. The Interior Ministry ensures that their account holds together and checks to make sure that they do not represent a threat to public order in France.

In this case, conversations with Mr. Hammoud thus far have not shown that the conditions for issuing a visa have been met. Over the coming days, however, we will proceed with in an-depth examination of Mr. Hammoud’s application, enabling him to potentially add additional elements to his file.