In Focus

In May 2023, UNHCR released a Position on Returns to Sudan, calling on states to allow access to territory for persons fleeing the conflict, to suspend negative decisions until the situation improves, and to refrain from returning persons to Sudan.

On 14 February 2023, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency released its Guidance Note on the International Protection Needs of People Fleeing Afghanistan (Update I). This document contains guidance on the situation of women and girls, on other profiles with increased international protection needs since 15 August 2021, on the availability of state protection, on the availability of an internal flight or relocation alternative and on exclusion considerations. The document also provides guidance on the continued constraints in assessing international protection needs, changed circumstance and family reunification, and calls on states to suspend the forcible return of nationals and former habitual residents of Afghanistan.

On 16 January 2023, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency released International Protection Considerations with Regard to People Fleeing Nicaragua. The guidance contains information about recent developments that may impact the assessment of international protection needs for persons from Nicaragua falling within certain risk profiles or who find themselves in certain circumstances. It aims to assist those adjudicating international protection claims by asylum seekers from Nicaragua and those responsible for setting government policy on this issue.

UNHCR urges States not to forcibly return to the DRC persons originating from these areas until the security and human rights situation has improved sufficiently to permit a safe and dignified return of those determined not to be in need of international protection.

On 20 September 2022, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency released International Protection Considerations with Regard to People Fleeing Somalia. The guidance aims to assist those adjudicating international protection claims by asylum seekers from Somalia and those responsible for setting government policy on this issue. See the UNHCR press release here.

Against a background of serious allegations over violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law and the continued volatility of the situation, UNHCR calls on all countries to allow civilians fleeing Gaza access to their territories and to ensure respect for the principle of nonrefoulement at all times. All claims for international protection need to be considered on their own merits according to fair and efficient status determination procedures and up-to-date and relevant country of origin information.

As the situation in parts of Ethiopia remains fluid and uncertain, UNHCR calls on all countries to allow civilians fleeing Ethiopia access to their territories and to ensure respect for the principle of nonrefoulement at all times.

The primary goal of this paper is to document relevant options and measures initiated by national asylum authorities - in countries with advanced asylum management practices - to ensure effective processing of asylum applications, while upholding key protection principles and due process standards. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) encourages the adoption of such good practices, which can then be contextualized at regional or national levels as part of practical and operational responses by States to growing or larger population movements.

As the situation in Afghanistan is volatile and may remain uncertain for some time to come, coupled with a large-scale humanitarian emergency in the country, UNHCR continues to call on States to suspend the forcible return of nationals and former habitual residents of Afghanistan, including those who have had their asylum claims rejected. The bar on forcible return serves as a minimum standard and needs to remain in place until such time as the security, rule of law, and human rights situation in Afghanistan has significantly improved to permit a safe and dignified return of those determined not to be in need of international protection.

In March 2022, UNHCR published a position on returns to Ukraine, calling "on States to suspend the forcible return of nationals and former habitual residents of Ukraine" due to the volatile and fluctuating situation.

In January 2022, UNHCR published an updated Position on Returns to Mali , which continues to call on States "not to forcibly return to Mali any person originating from the following regions: Gao, Kidal, Ménaka, Mopti, Ségou, Taoudenni and Timbuktu" as well as the following cercles, "Diema(Kayes region), Banamba, Kolokani and Nara (Koulikoro region), and Kolondiéba, Koutiala, Sikasso, Yanfolila and Yorosso (Sikasso region)", given the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis.

On 25 October 2021, UNHCR published an updated Position on Returns to Yemen, which "continues to call on States not to forcibly return Yemeni nationals and former habitual residents of Yemen to any part of the country", given the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis.

On 30 July 2021, the UNHCR published a position on returns to Burkina Faso. In light of the deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation, UNHCR calls on States not to forcibly return to Burkina Faso any person originating from the following regions: Boucle du Mouhoun, Cascades, Centre-Est, Centre-Nord, Est, Hauts-Bassins, Nord, and Sahel.

On 1 October 2020, the UNHCR published legal considerations regarding claims for international protection made in the context of the adverse effects of climate change and disasters.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency released a Position on the Designations of Libya as a Safe Third Country and as a Place of Safety for the Purpose of Disembarkation Following Rescue at Sea, partially updating its 2018 Position on Returns to Libya.

UNHCR has published a revised and updated 2020 version of the Procedural Standards for RSD under UNHCR's Mandate (RSD Procedural Standards), originally published in 2003, which set out core standards and best practices to ensure harmonised, efficient and quality UNHCR RSD procedures, including for reception and registration. The full text of the 2020 RSD Procedural Standards can be found at: Procedural Standards for Refugee Status Determination Under UNHCR's Mandate UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 26 August 2020

On 16 March 2020, the UNHCR published key legal considerations regarding country responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD), a department of the Austrian Red Cross, have joined forces in providing protection information to asylum decision makers.

As of 1 January 2019, ACCORD's ecoi.net will be endorsed by UNHCR as the main global platform for country of origin information. At the same time, UNHCR's Refworld will reinforce its law and policy collections in the course of 2019, relaunching its protection information platform in 2020.

On 15 May 2020, the UNHCR published key legal considerations regarding remote participation of asylum-seekers in the refugee status determination interview.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency released an update on its position on Returns to North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Adjacent Areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Affected by Ongoing Conflict and Violence.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency released an update on its position on Returns to Mali.

On 03 May 2019, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency released International Protection Considerations with Regard to People Fleeing the Republic of Iraq.

In May 2019, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency updated its Guidance Note on the International Protection Considerations for Venezuelans.

In April 2019, UNHCR released its updated Position on Returns to South Sudan. This position supersedes and replaces the older version.

On 20 December 2017, UNHCR published its Guidelines on International Protection No. 13 on the applicability of Article 1D of the 1951 Refugee to Palestinian Refugees

The availability and accessibility of relevant information in Spanish, in one central database has the potential to contribute to better quality asylum decisions in all countries where Spanish is used as a first language or is otherwise generally spoken and understood. Asylum-seekers who apply for international protection in Spanish-speaking countries are therefore the ultimate beneficiaries of this project.

The Guidelines provide substantive and procedural guidance for assessing claims to international protection related to situations of armed conflict and violence under the 1951 Convention/1967 Protocol, the 1969 OAU Convention and the 1984 Cartagena Declaration.

On 14 November 2016, UNHCR released an Update to the Position on Returns to Iraq.

This paper supersedes UNHCR's October 2014 UNHCR Position on Returns to Iraq.

On 11 October 2016, UNHCR released an Update of its International Protection Considerations with regard to people fleeing northeastern Nigeria (the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa) and surrounding region.

This paper supersedes UNHCR's October 2014 International Protection Considerations with regard to people fleeing northeastern Nigeria (the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa) and surrounding region – Update I.

On 27 July 2016, UNHCR released a new set of Eligibility Guidelines for assessing the international protection needs of asylum-seekers from Honduras.

These guidelines apply UNHCR's March 2010 UNHCR's Guidance Note on Refugee Claims Relating to Victims of Organized Gangs to the situation in Honduras.

On 20 May 2016, UNHCR released an Update to the Position on Returns to Southern and Central Somalia.

This paper supersedes UNHCR's June 2014 Position on Returns to Southern and Central Somalia.

On 19 April 2016, UNHCR released a new set of Eligibility Guidelines for assessing the international protection needs of asylum-seekers from Afghanistan. They replace the August 2013 Afghanistan Eligibility Guidelines.

As part of the Special Feature on RSD in Refworld, a dedicated page on Quality Assurance has been created.

This new page on quality assurance in Refugee Status Determination is a central resource for all publicly available quality assurance project reports that UNHCR has been involved in. It also contains some practical tools developed in the context of UNHCR quality assurance projects.

On 15 March 2016, UNHCR released a new set of Eligibility Guidelines for assessing the international protection needs of asylum-seekers from El Salvador.

On 27 November 2015, UNHCR released an Update to the International Protection Considerations with regard to people fleeing the Syrian Arab Republic (Update IV).

This paper supersedes UNHCR's October 2014 International Protection Considerations with regard to people fleeing the Syrian Arab Republic, Update III.

In October 2015, UNHCR released an Update to the Position on Returns to Libya.

This paper supersedes UNHCR's November 2014 Position on Returns to Libya.

On 24 September 2015, UNHCR released an Update to the International Protection Considerations related to developments in Ukraine.

This paper supersedes UNHCR's January 2015 International Protection Considerations Related to the Developments in Ukraine - Update II.

On 22 September 2015, UNHCR released a new set of Eligibility Guidelines for assessing the international protection needs of asylum-seekers from Colombia. They replace the May 2010 Colombia Eligibility Guidelines.

Observations on the situation of asylum-seekers and refugees in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

On the 1st anniversary of the #IBelong Campaign to End Statelessness, UNCHR launches a new report on the devastating impact of childhood statelessness, based on the testimonies of more than 200 stateless children and youth around the world.

These Guidelines set out the legal basis as well as procedural and evidentiary aspects of applying a prima facie approach

A concise and comprehensive thematic guide to the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) that is of relevance to refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless persons.

Expert Roundtable on Credibility Assessment in Asylum Procedures in Budapest, Hungary on 14-15 January 2015, convened by UNHCR and organized with the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) as part of the "CREDO" projects.

On 14 April 2015, UNHCR released an Update to Position on Returns to South Sudan.

This paper supersedes UNHCR's February 2014 UNHCR Position on Returns to South Sudan.

On 9 April 2015, UNHCR released a Position on Returns to Yemen, in which it urges States not to forcibly return any civilians to Yemen until tangible improvements in the security and human rights situation have occurred.

On 27 January 2015, UNHCR released an Update to the International Protection Considerations related to developments in Ukraine.

This paper supersedes UNHCR's July 2014 International Protection Considerations related to developments in Ukraine - Update I.

On 12 November 2014, UNHCR released a Position on Returns to Libya, in which it urges States not to forcibly return persons originating from Libya until tangible improvements in the security and human rights situation have occurred.

On 27 October 2014, UNHCR released a Position on Returns to Iraq, in which it urges States not to forcibly return persons originating from Iraq until tangible improvements in the security and human rights situation have occurred.

On 27 October 2014, UNHCR released an Update of its International Protection Considerations with regard to people fleeing northeastern Nigeria (the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa) and surrounding region.

This paper supersedes UNHCR's October 2013 International Protection Considerations with regard to people fleeing northeastern Nigeria (the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa).

This paper assesses the current asylum system in Greece and notes developments in particular since the last publication of UNHCR's Observations on the current situation of asylum in Greece and the M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece judgment.