presented opportunities not only in order to reduce the traumas and difficulties caused by the violent displacements and separation suffered by refugees but also to assist them in their socio-‐ economic and cultural integration in host countries. Our objective was to analyse refugees’ level of access to these technologies, the way they use them and the difficulties they might encounter in France. Our research adopts a qualitative approach in the sense that our fieldwork consisted of: interviews conducted with statutory refugees, 18 an evaluation of existing communication tools on the internet (websites and apps) and physical tools (such as computers and telephones) to which refugees have access. In order to have access to this information, interviews with various organisations sheltering and assisting refugees have been conducted. Overall, over 30 interviews of refugees have been conducted from the second semester of 2013 to fall 2014 in safe environments which facilitated communication.19 The selected refugees chose the place and time of their interviews and were guaranteed their anonymity in advance. The objectives of the interviews were also carefully explained to the different interviewees. This research also includes results gathered by previous studies on the broader perspective of migration.20 Before addressing the question of ICT and their use by refugees, this study will explain the nature of asylum in France. The study will then be presented in three parts: firstly, we explore on the claims and goals of ICTs in a globalised world as well as the constraints and specific risks which refugees encounter; secondly we examine the issues of access to technologies practically (such as cost of connexion and equipment) and culturally (alphabetisation and mastery of
18
SINGA France, a non profit organisation participating to this research and working on the socio-‐economic integration of refugees has put the researchers in contact with their beneficiaries. 19 The refugees had previous existing relationships with SINGA and were able to choose the environment and time of the meeting. 20 We are here referring to French author Abdelmayek Sayad’s works on migration from the 1990’s or to Diana Diminescu’s more recent researchs of on-‐line diasporas
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