Français
The prefect's new delegate for Saint-Barthélemy took up his post on Monday December 1. Joris Eberhardt takes up the post held for three years by Aliénor Barbé-Guillaume. "I was delighted to begin my work in the field this morning with a meeting with the president of the Red Cross and the volunteers of the Saint-Barthélemy delegation", he declared.
Joris Eberhardt has spent most of his career with the French Office for the Protection of Stateless Refugees (Ofpra), an independent office under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior. He has held a variety of positions, from protection officer for interviewing asylum seekers to head of office for the Antilles-Guyane zone. "This gives him a good knowledge of the area, having worked for two years in Guadeloupe and a short year in French Guiana," emphasizes the prefect's delegate. Before being appointed to Saint-Barthélemy, he was deputy to the head of the America-Maghreb division, which is responsible for examining asylum applications from the American continent as well as the northern part and the Horn of Africa. "In this context, I have been in frequent contact with the prefectures of the French departments of America, including Saint-Martin.I've also been in frequent contact with the prefectures of the French departments of America, including Saint-Martin, since Ofpra organizes videoconferences practically every week to hear asylum seekers", stresses Joris Eberhardt. He explains that the new direction given to his career stems from a desire to "get closer to the field and local issues". He adds: "The idea here in Saint-Barth is to look beyond the various issues and pay particular attention to the island's inhabitants. "
Joris Eberhardt is now Prefect Cyril Le Vely's relay on Saint-Barthélemy.
