In 1987, the Office for the Protection of Refugees (OFPRA) gained in power and opened up a period of nearly systematic asylum. This liberal period eventually tapered off in the 90s as a result of new European measures designed against an influx in immigration. The Sri Lankan population in France It is difficult to know the actual number of People born in Sri Lanka living in France because censuses by ethnicity or religion are prohibited in that territory off which the greatest number live in Paris.