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What is the role of UNHCR?
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), sometimes known as the UN’s refugee agency, was founded in 1951 to offer worldwide protection for refugees and find solutions to their relocation. UNHCR aims to protect refugees’ rights, promote their well-being, and assist them in finding long-term solutions.
Who can apply for asylum?
Asylum can be sought by anyone. Normally, it is a person who believes they are at risk of serious harm in their own country or who is forced to flee their home nation in pursuit of safety in another.
How do I register?
The initial phase in the connection between asylum seekers and the UNHCR is registration. You must first register with UNHCR if you are unable to return to your home country because you fear for your safety and desire to seek international protection.
At registration, UNHCR collects information about you and your family and the reasons for your departure from your home country.
Step 1 Schedule an appointment
1. You’ll get a call from the service provider alerting you that a member of their team will contact you to set up a remote interview.
2. Please follow the directions in the mail, which essentially ask you to send the appropriate documents.
3. During the scheduling call, all procedures will be discussed in full, and the renewal interview phone call will be scheduled at a convenient time.
4. Fill out the “New Arrival Information Sheet” available at the gate and submit it to the office along with your passport, if you have one.
5. For those who are unable to speak English UNHCR will arrange an interpreter. The date and time of your registration appointment will be communicated to you by phone. The registration process usually takes 2-4 weeks from the time you first approached the office.
Step 2. Interview Call
Please ensure that all registered family members are present and that all passports/identity documents are readily available.
Step 3 Document Collection
After you have completed the phone interview, you will receive a call/email with an appointment to attend the nearest UNHCR or partner registration center in your area to receive your renewal certificate.
What documents are required to apply for asylum through UNHCR?
On the day of your appointment, please bring all essential documents, such as
- Passports,
- Identity papers,
- Marriage certificates,
- Birth certificates,
- Family information sheets,
- National ID cards;
Please include a detailed written statement, in your preferred language, detailing how and why you left your home country and why you are unable to return.
How to apply for UNHCR refugee status?
RSD (Refugee Status Determination) is a process that is carried out on an individual basis for each person seeking international protection. The main goal of an RSD is to investigate why a person requesting asylum is unable to return to their country of origin or habitual residence.
The applicant seeking asylum will be asked questions about their family, background, education, occupation, and general personal circumstances during the RSD interview.
The RSD Unit will analyze the particular case and determine whether the person qualifies for refugee status based on the statements made during the interview information and reports about what is happening in the person’s country of origin at the time of the interview.
The RSD Unit makes every effort to complete RSD determinations, but it is dependent on the nature of your case, as each case must be evaluated on its own merits. It could take anywhere from one to six months since your interview.
How to receive the renewed Asylum Seeker Certificate?
UNHCR is scheduling appointments for refugees to pick up their renewed Asylum Seeker Certificates as part of the UNHCR’s Remote Renewal Interview Process.
To avoid crowding and to comply with the precautionary measures in place to restrict the spread of coronavirus, UNHCR contacts refugees directly to schedule appointments to visit the office.
You must arrive at the center on the precise date and time that has been advised to you. Please note that all UNHCR services, including registration, are free of charge.
Download UNHCR refugee application form
Please click here for the form and further information.
List of UNHCR Offices
Click the above link to view UNHCR Offices by Country