Indonesia is not a party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, nor does it have a national refugee status determination system in place.
As a result, UNHCR processes claims for refugee status in Indonesia on behalf of the Government.
The UNHCR carries out a thorough Refugee Status Determination (RSD) procedure, which starts with registration of asylum-seekers to collect basic biodata, photographs, iris scans, and a summary of the individual’s reasons for leaving their home country to seek international protection. Following registration and issuance of individual documentation, UNHCR conducts detailed interviews with each individual asylum-seeker accompanied by a qualified interpreter. This process assesses the individual’s credibility and provides a reasoned decision as to whether the individual qualifies for refugee status under UNHCR’s mandate because of a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The procedure includes an assessment of potential exclusion, in which UNHCR determines whether an individual who is otherwise qualified for refugee status might be undeserving of international protection because he or she committed crimes against humanity, war crimes, serious non-political crimes, or crimes that are contrary to the principles of the United Nations. For those who are initially found not to be refugees, the procedure allows the individual an opportunity to appeal that decision.
As of March 2020 there are 3,297 asylum-seekers and 10,253 refugees under the protection of UNHCR in Indonesia.