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Asylum and Refugee Status in Angola

AngolaHumanitarian protection

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Angola Read the five questions ↓

What exactly is this: asylum, temporary protection, humanitarian admission, resettlement or another protection mechanism?

This route is asylum and refugee status under Angola's Law No. 10/15 of 17 June (Lei sobre o Direito de Asilo e o Estatuto do Refugiado), for a foreign citizen or stateless person who is persecuted or has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, sex, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside their country of nationality and unable or unwilling to seek that country's protection, or who is forced to leave due to aggression, foreign occupation/domination, serious public-order disturbance, or indiscriminate violence/generalised human rights violations in an armed conflict.

See recorded sources
  • Lei n.º 10/15, Artigo 5.º (Beneficiários do Direito de Asilo), alínea b)
    Devido a temor bem fundamentado de ser perseguido por razões de raça, sexo, religião, nacionalidade, afiliação a um grupo social especial ou opinião política, essa pessoa se encontra fora do País de sua nacionalidade e não pode, ou devido a tal receio, não é capaz de se aproveitar da protecção daquele País
  • Lei n.º 10/15, Artigo 5.º, alínea c)
    Por razões de agressão, ocupação, dominação estrangeira ou acontecimentos que perturbam em grande medida a ordem pública numa parte ou na totalidade do seu país de origem

Which population, circumstances or geographic group does the mechanism cover?

Asylum may be granted to a foreign national or stateless person who: is persecuted or threatened with persecution because of activity in favour of democracy, peace between peoples, freedom and human rights; has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, sex, religion, nationality, membership of a special social group or political opinion and is outside their country of nationality (or, if stateless, country of residence) and cannot or will not use its protection; has to leave their country because of aggression, occupation, foreign domination or events greatly disturbing public order; or has to leave because of indiscriminate violence in international or internal armed conflict or widespread and indiscriminate human rights violations, with a risk of serious offence. A person with more than one nationality qualifies only if these reasons apply to all of their countries of nationality.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.refworld.org/sites/default/files/legacy-pdf/en/2015-6/3ae6b4df8.pdf
    1. The right of asylum may be granted to a foreign national or a stateless person who: a) Is pursued or threatened with persecution as a result of the activity carried out in the State of his nationality or of his usual residence in favor of democracy, peace between peoples of freedom and the human rights; b) Due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, sex, religion, nationality, membership of a special social group or political opinion, that person is outside the Country of her nationality and cannot, or because of such fear , Is not able to take advantage of the protection of that Country, or that, having no nationality and being outside her country of residence, as a result of such events may or, due to such fear, may not be willing to return to it; c) For reasons of aggression, occupation, foreign domination or events which greatly disturb public order in part or in her entire country of origin, nationality or habitual residence, has to leave it to seek Refuge outside her country of origin, or of her nationality or usual residence; d) Because of indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict or a widespread and indiscriminate violation of human rights has to leave his or her country of origin, nationality or residence because of the risk of suffering a serious offense.
  • https://www.refworld.org/sites/default/files/legacy-pdf/en/2015-6/3ae6b4df8.pdf
    2. The right of asylum may only be granted to a foreign citizen who has more than one nationality when the reasons referred to in the preceding paragraph take place, concerning all the States of which he is a national.

Where can protection be requested, and is this a direct application, border/in-country request, referral or other process?

After the interview, the migration authority issues proof of the asylum application, which authorises temporary stay for 60 days from submission, renewable in 30-day periods until a final decision; this temporary stay does not itself grant a residence authorisation, paid work, or free movement outside the CARRA reception centre. The file must normally be investigated within 30 days of the interview (extendable for justified reasons, or fast-tracked within 15 days in specific cases such as manifestly unfounded claims); the National Refugee Council (CNR) then has 15 days to issue a reasoned proposal, and the ministry has 15 days from receiving that proposal to decide.

See recorded sources
  • Lei n.º 10/15, Artigo 12.º (Permanência Temporária)
    A declaração comprovativa de apresentação do pedido de asilo, referida no artigo anterior, atesta que o requerente de asilo está autorizado a permanecer temporariamente em território nacional, por um período de sessenta (60) dias contados a data da apresentação, renovável por períodos de trinta (30) dias até a decisão final do pedido.
  • Lei n.º 10/15, Artigo 15.º (Instrução do Processo de Asilo)
    O prazo de instrução do processo é de trinta (30) dias a contar da data da entrevista, prorrogável, por motivos devidamente justificados.
  • Lei n.º 10/15, Artigo 19.º (Decisão do Pedido de Asilo)
    O titular do departamento ministerial responsável pela execução da política migratória mediante delegação de poderes do Titular do Poder Executivo defere ou indefere o pedido de asilo no prazo de quinze (15) dias a contar da data de recepção do processo.

What happens after the request: registration, family handling, major support and rights where officially stated?

After the interview, the migration authority issues proof of the asylum application, which authorises temporary stay for 60 days from submission, renewable in 30-day periods until a final decision; this temporary stay does not itself grant a residence authorisation, paid work, or free movement outside the CARRA reception centre. Submitting an asylum request also blocks any administrative or criminal proceeding for irregular entry against the applicant and accompanying family, which is closed if asylum is granted for the same underlying facts. If asylum is granted, the person receives refugee status together with an identification document and a temporary-stay authorisation issued by the migration authority.

See recorded sources
  • Lei n.º 10/15, Artigo 20.º (Efeitos da Decisão)
    Se o asilo for concedido, o cidadão estrangeiro ou apátrida beneficia do estatuto de refugiado nos termos do disposto na presente Lei, sendo-lhe atribuído o documento de identificação e a autorização de permanência temporária pela autoridade migratória
  • Lei n.º 10/15, Artigo 9.º
    A apresentação do pedido de asilo obsta o conhecimento de qualquer procedimento administrativo ou processo criminal por entrada irregular em território nacional instaurado contra o requerente e membros da família que o acompanham.
  • Lei n.º 10/15, Artigo 12.º (Permanência Temporária)
    A declaração comprovativa de apresentação do pedido de asilo, referida no artigo anterior, atesta que o requerente de asilo está autorizado a permanecer temporariamente em território nacional, por um período de sessenta (60) dias contados a data da apresentação, renovável por períodos de trinta (30) dias até a decisão final do pedido.
  • Lei n.º 10/15, Artigo 15.º (Instrução do Processo de Asilo)
    O prazo de instrução do processo é de trinta (30) dias a contar da data da entrevista, prorrogável, por motivos devidamente justificados.
  • Lei n.º 10/15, Artigo 19.º (Decisão do Pedido de Asilo)
    O titular do departamento ministerial responsável pela execução da política migratória mediante delegação de poderes do Titular do Poder Executivo defere ou indefere o pedido de asilo no prazo de quinze (15) dias a contar da data de recepção do processo.

Which competent authority, UN body or official assistance channel should the person use?

The competent authority is the migration authority, the ministerial department of Angola responsible for implementing the migration policy. An application may be submitted at the border post to the migration authority, within the country to any police or migration officer, or abroad to an accredited Angolan diplomatic representation, in writing or verbally. The National Council for Refugees (CNR), a multi-sectoral advisory body, is competent to assess the cases and to pronounce on asylum applications and loss of refugee status, and on complaints concerning refusal of asylum and loss of refugee status. UNHCR may provide legal and/or social assistance to asylum seekers at all stages of the investigation by the immigration authority; applicants receive legal assistance in accordance with the legislation in force and, where necessary, interpreting services. The processes for recognition of the right of asylum, granting of refugee status and expulsion are free of charge. The official source does not state a specific fraud or scam warning.

See recorded sources

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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