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Application for Recognition of Refugee Status

ColombiaHumanitarian protection

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

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Explore pathways in Colombia Read the five questions ↓

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

Asylum: an application to Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for recognition of refugee status, a form of international protection for foreigners outside their country of origin who cannot or will not, owing to well-founded fear, accept its protection. It is not a migration-regularisation procedure.

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

Under Decree 1067/2015 art. 2.2.3.1.1.1, foreigners who: (1) cannot accept their country's protection owing to well-founded fear of persecution for race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion; (2) were forced to leave because generalised violence, foreign aggression, internal conflicts and/or massive human-rights violations threatened their life, safety or freedom; or (3) have well-founded reasons to believe they would be at risk of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. People seeking better economic prospects are not refugees unless forced to leave for these reasons.

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

Direct in-country application: the person must be in Colombian territory (a request can be made even at a point of entry) and applies to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' GIT Refugio by completing form DP-FO-273 (plus form DP-FO-274 to add dependent relatives in Colombia) and sending it with identity documents and evidence as PDF by email. The application must be filed within the legal deadline after arrival; if late, the reasons must be explained in writing.

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Limits of the record
  • The number of days of the filing deadline is not stated in the captured text (UNHCR refers to the Cancillería page).
  • The email address for new applications is obfuscated in the UNHCR capture ([email protected]).

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

Admissibility answer within up to 30 business days; if admitted, the Ministry asks Migración Colombia to issue an SC-2 safe-conduct. Applicants may be called to one or more interviews; the full procedure can take up to 4 years. While pending: regular stay in Colombia, non-refoulement, access to health (subsidised or contributory scheme) and education for under-18s; no economic assistance. Family who can be included: spouse/permanent partner, minor children, children up to 25 economically dependent, children with disability, children of the spouse, and parents/parents-in-law over 60 who are dependent or cannot apply for health reasons.

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

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' GIT Refugio and the CONARE advisory commission are the only authority that determines refugee status (contact: solicitudesentramite@cancilleria.gov.co). Other official channels listed are Migración Colombia, the Defensoría del Pueblo, UNHCR (ACNUR) Colombia, the Colombian Red Cross and ICBF. The procedure is free and needs no intermediaries; UNHCR services are free, nobody should charge money, and UNHCR does not work with intermediaries claiming to speed up processes.

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

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