Protection offered to refugees in Ecuador; does issuing of Ecuadorean passport to a refugee indicate the person enjoys full refugee status in Ecuador, and would that status exclude the person from making a refugee claim in Canada?
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1990 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ECU5098 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Protection offered to refugees in Ecuador; does issuing of Ecuadorean passport to a refugee indicate the person enjoys full refugee status in Ecuador, and would that status exclude the person from making a refugee claim in Canada?, 1 May 1990, ECU5098, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acd178.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Please find attached a copy of page 75 of the latest issue of World Refugee Report (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of State, September 1989). This gives a general description of the situation of refugees in Ecuador.
The Embassy of Ecuador in Washington, D.C., in a telephone communication with the IRBDC on 16 May 1990, stated that the new asylum/refugee legislation reported to have taken effect in Ecuador in March 1989 is in fact a legal ratification of Ecuador's adherence to the U.N. Convention and not a special law for refugees or refugee procedures. The Embassy stated that asylum seekers in Ecuador are normally granted refugee status if it is considered that there is a reason for fear in their own country. Refugees are granted a refugee visa by the Immigration Office of the Ministry of External Affairs and a working visa (permit) that will allow them to be self-reliant. The Embassy confirmed that some refugees are assisted by the UNHCR and the Ecumenical Refugee Committee, with some indirect help from the government.
The same source added that visas are temporary, and are renewed depending on the current existence of reasons for fear in the refugee's country. Although one year is a normal period between renewals, the assigned duration of the visas may be shorter or longer. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides what the duration of the visa will be and upon its renewal, the Ministry of Labour grants a working visa valid for a similar period. The Embassy added that the emission and validity of a passport and possibility of return to Ecuador for a refugee are decided for each particular case. Although the source stated that Ecuador normally ends its responsibility towards the refugee when the latter leaves the country, the possibility of retaining his/her refugee status would depend on the reasons given for leaving Ecuador (for example, visiting relatives in another country might be considered a valid reason for a temporary absence, with the Ministry of External Affairs of Ecuador giving the necessary documents and/or renewing the refugee visa).
Determining which particular cases may be excluded from making valid refugee claims in Canada cannot be done by the IRB Documentation Centre. Refugee status determination is a task assigned to the Immigration and Refugee Board, and is done on a case by case basis. For information on the exclusion clause in the U.N. Convention definition, please consult the UNHCR Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Refugee Determination and other publications on refugee determination and law. Your regional Documentation Centre and the regional office of the Immigration and Refugee Board might be able to help you find pertinent publications and obtain some information on the subject.
