Djibouti: A document issued in Djibouti identified with the words "visa" and "titre de voyage" and carrying the stamp of the national police; the rights and privileges that this document grants to the holder, including the right of residence and the access to social services, medical care and education; the rights and privileges that Djibouti confers with refugee status granted under the 1951 Convention (1984-May 2003)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 20 May 2003 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | DJI41604.FE |
| Reference | 1 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Djibouti: A document issued in Djibouti identified with the words "visa" and "titre de voyage" and carrying the stamp of the national police; the rights and privileges that this document grants to the holder, including the right of residence and the access to social services, medical care and education; the rights and privileges that Djibouti confers with refugee status granted under the 1951 Convention (1984-May 2003), 20 May 2003, DJI41604.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4d8d1c.html [accessed 19 May 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. |
Information on the rights and privileges conferred on a person who holds a document issued in Djibouti carrying the words "visa" and "titre de voyage" (travel document) and the stamp of the national police could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, Article 9 of Decree no. 2001-0101/PR/MI, amending Decree no. 77-054/PR/AE of 9 November 1977 regarding the creation of the national commission on eligibility for refugee status in Djibouti, reads as follows:
[translation]
In view of the decision of the commission on eligibility for refugee status, the Minister of the Interior issues to the person concerned the following documents: a refugee identity card [and] a travel document complying with Article 28 of the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951 relating to the status of refugees (Djibouti 28 May 2001).
Without defining the role of each of the units that operate within Djibouti's Ministry of the Interior and Decentralization, two sources indicated that the national police force also falls under this Ministry's authority (ibid. 17 July 2001; La Nation de Djibouti n.d.).
In Adar v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), a decision rendered on 26 May 1997 by the Federal Court of Canada and published on the Canadian Legal Information Institute's Website, it is stated that a certain Ali Ibrahim Goudal was the Director of National Police in Djibouti in the 1990s (Canada 26 May 1997; see also DJI30787.E of 18 December 1998 for the names of others who held the position of Director of National Police in Djibouti).
Ordinance no. 77053/PR/AE regarding the status of refugees in the Republic of Djibouti, available on the Website of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and to which Decree no. 2001-0101/PR/MI of 28 May 2001 refers, specifies the following in Article 4:
[translation]
Persons granted refugee status shall not be expelled from the territory of the Republic of Djibouti, save on grounds of national security or public order, which shall include interfering in national political affairs, engaging in activities that threaten public order, and being sentenced to imprisonment for a particularly serious crime (Djibouti Nov. 1977).
Articles 7 and 8 of the same decree define the right to work of refugees as follows:
[translation]
Article 7
Persons granted refugee status shall be treated as foreigners living in the territory of the Republic of Djibouti with respect to practicing a profession.
Article 8
Persons granted refugee status shall be treated as Djiboutian nationals with respect to the right to work (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Canada. 26 May 1997. Federal Court. Adar v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration). Djibouti. 17 July 2001. Presidency of the Republic of Djibouti. "Les ministères." _____. 28 May 2001. Journal officiel de la République de Djibouti. "Décret no 2001‑0101/PR/MI modifiant le décret no 77-054/PR/AE du 09 novembre 1977 portant création de la commission nationale d'éligibilité au statut des réfugiés." _____. November 1977. "Ordonnance no 77053/P.R./A.E. portant statut des réfugiés sur le sol de la République de Djibouti." La Nation de Djibouti. n.d. "Le ministre de l'Intérieur et de la Décentralisation expose les nouvelles orientations de son département." Additional Sources Consulted
A request for information was sent to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Branch Office for Canada.
Attempts to reach oral sources in Djibouti were unsuccessful.
Africa Confidential 1984-2003
Africa Research Bulletin 1991-2003
IRB Databases
La Lettre de l'Océan indien 1998-2003
LEXIS/NEXIS
Resource Centre country file. Djibouti
Internet sites, including:
Africa Time
Agence djiboutienne d'information
AllAfrica
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
ReliefWeb
United States Department of State, Visa Reciprocity and Country Documents Finder
US Committee for Refugees
