The politics of refugee labelling in Cold War France: from the myth of difference between past and present refugees to the transformation of labelling practices

This article analyses the determination of refugee status in France during the Cold War, showing that selection was disconnected from individual persecution claims. Recognition depended primarily on national group membership, shaped by ideological, political, economic and social considerations alongside ethnic stereotypes. Examining the interplay between state interests, institutional staffing and refugee categorisation, the article contests the ‘myth of difference’ legitimising restrictive asylum policies today. This myth falsely constructs contemporary Southern asylum seekers as fundamentally distinct from - and less authentic than - Cold War European refugees, obscuring historical continuities in how political and economic factors drive refugee recognition.