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Political Exile Status

BeninHumanitarian protection

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

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Explore pathways in Benin Read the five questions ↓

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

Under Law 2022-31 of 20 December 2022 on the status of refugees and stateless persons in Benin, political-exile status ('statut d'exilé politique') is a legal protection granted, at its discretion, by the Beninese State to a person seeking protection for fear of being persecuted or exposed to a threat in their country of origin. It is granted by decree of the President of the Republic, at his discretion, unless reasons of national interest stand in the way.

See recorded sources
  • Law 2022-31, Article 1er (definition of "asile politique")
    - asile politique : protection juridique accordée de manière discrétionnaire par l'Etat à une personne qui recherche une protection par crainte d'être persécutée ou exposée à une menace dans son pays d'origine :
  • Law 2022-31, Article 36
    Le statut d'exilé politique est accordé par décret du président de la République, à sa discrétion, si des raisons d'intérêt national ne s'y opposent.

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

Political-exile status covers a person who seeks protection from the Beninese State for fear of being persecuted or exposed to a threat in their country of origin; it is granted at the President of the Republic's discretion, by decree, unless reasons of national interest stand in the way.

See recorded sources
  • Law 2022-31, Article 37
    Toute personne bénéficiant du statut d'exilé politique jouit, au moins, des droits reconnus au réfugié,

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

The request is an asylum application in this Law's sense (any expression of will, even unwritten, by which a person seeks refugee status or political-exile status from the Beninese authorities), and the status itself is granted, at the President of the Republic's discretion, by presidential decree.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No dedicated application or documentary procedure specific to political-exile status (distinct from the general asylum-request definition and the discretionary presidential decree) is set out in this Law.
  • Law 2022-31, Article 1er (definition of "demande d'asile")
    - demande d'asile: toute manifestation de volonté, même non formulée par écrit, par laquelle une personne sollicite des autorités béninoises, le statut de réfugié ou le statut d'exilé politique ;
  • Law 2022-31, Article 36
    Le statut d'exilé politique est accordé par décret du président de la République, à sa discrétion, si des raisons d'intérêt national ne s'y opposent.

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

A person granted political-exile status enjoys, at a minimum, the rights recognised to refugees and is subject to the same obligations as a refugee, subject to any particular provisions in the decree granting the status. The official source does not state registration steps or family handling specific to political-exile status.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The official source does not state registration steps or family handling specific to political-exile status.

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

Political-exile status is granted by decree of the President of the Republic, at his discretion, if reasons of national interest do not prevent it. The official source does not state a separate office for political-exile requests, an official assistance channel or fraud or scam warnings.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No naturalisation or permanence clause is stated in Section 3 (Articles 36-37) itself; it is inferred from Article 37's rule that a political exile enjoys, at minimum, the rights recognised to refugees, with naturalisation separately governed by Articles 50-51.
  • Law 2022-31, Article 37
    Toute personne bénéficiant du statut d'exilé politique jouit, au moins, des droits reconnus au réfugié,
  • Law 2022-31, Article 50
    Les autorités habilitées facilitent, dans toute la mesure du possible, l'assimilation et la naturalisation du réfugié, à sa demande y compris en réformant ou en suscitant la réforme des normes et procédures pertinentes dans le sens de ladite facilitation. La procédure de naïuralisation est accélérée et les taxes et frais y relatifs sont réduits dans toute la mesure du possible.

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

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