In order to fulfill its mission, UNHCR in Brazil counts on the support of civil society organizations with a vast experience in the area, which work to promote the protection, assistance and local integration of asylum seekers and refugees in Brazil. Through these organizations, asylum seekers and refugees have access to orientation and information regarding housing, health, education, documentation, Portuguese language courses, inclusion in the labor market, etc. These organizations are present in the following Brazilian cities: Rio de Janeiro, Caritas Arquidiocesana do Rio de Janeiro (CARJ); São Paulo, Caritas Arquidiocesana de São Paulo (CASP); Brasilia, Instituto Migrações e Direitos Humanos (IMDH).

The Federal Police (Polícia Federal) is the governmental body in charge of registering asylum claims, providing documents for asylum seekers and refugees, informing asylum seekers on the result of their claims and receiving appeals against CONARE’s negative decisions.

The National Committee for Refugees, or CONARE, is the governmental body in charge of reviewing and deciding all asylum claims in Brazil. It is also the authority responsible for defining the Brazilian policy on asylum. CONARE is located in Brasília, at the Ministry of Justice.

The State Public Defender’s office (Defensoria Pública do Estado) will deal with any doubts or need to litigate on questions related to housing, rent, divorce, allowance, guardianship, inventory, paternity investigation, reparation or if you are the defendant in a criminal case for crimes of the competency of the State Justice, such as murder, theft, robbery, fraud, rape, etc.

The Federal Public Defender’s Office (Defensoria Pública da União) will deal with any doubts regarding asylum procedures, disagreements with the result of your asylum claim and with general issues related to documentation, retirement, rights of foreigners in Brazil, access to assistance benefits and if you are the defendant in a criminal case for crimes of the competency of the Federal Justice, such as the forging of passports, or identity cards, or in procedures of extradition and/or expulsion of the country.

The Ministry of Justice is the authority which reviews and decides all appeals submitted by asylum seekers in Brazil. The Minister of Justice is a Minister of the Brazilian State, responsible for topics related to the Judiciary, public security, nationality, foreigners, indigenous populations, among others.