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UNHCR Asylum Registration and Refugee Residence Follow-On

MoroccoHumanitarian protection

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

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Explore pathways in Morocco Read the five questions ↓

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

This is an asylum and refugee-status determination process with UNHCR Morocco, not an ordinary humanitarian visa. UNHCR receives and registers the asylum claim, issues an asylum-seeker certificate and decides refugee status. After UNHCR recognition, the current UNHCR guidance says the person is called to a hearing with Morocco’s Bureau des Réfugiés et Apatrides (BRA) for a national refugee card. After obtaining that card, the person must apply separately to the foreigners office of the local police prefecture for a Moroccan resident card. Recognition by UNHCR does not itself prove that either Moroccan card has already been issued.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The UNHCR page gives the follow-on BRA and residence-card process, but the grant of each national card remains a separate step. The older GADEM statement that recognised refugees cannot obtain Moroccan residence documents is inconsistent with this current first-party guidance and is not retained as a current fact.
  • https://help.unhcr.org/morocco/en/seeking-asylum-in-morocco/register-and-apply-for-asylum/
    How can I register and apply for asylum with UNHCR in Morocco?
  • https://help.unhcr.org/morocco/en/seeking-asylum-in-morocco/register-and-apply-for-asylum/
    Your claim will be examined by UNHCR. Information that you gave will be verified and cross-checked with several public sources of information and your claim will be legally analysed.
  • https://help.unhcr.org/morocco/en/about-us/
    UNHCR in Morocco provides protection services, including all aspects of registration, documentation, refugee status determination and durable solutions to persons of concern. All services provided by UNHCR, partners and community volunteers are free of charge. In Morocco, we currently focus our work on the following areas: Ensuring that asylum-seekers can apply for and gain access to protection; Supporting the access of refugees to health and education services and ensuring that vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers can meet their basic needs including through access to livelihood opportunities; UNHCR can help you with: Receive information on how to apply for asylum in Morocco, the procedures, and what rights and duties you have as a refugee or asylum seeker in the country; Receive and register your asylum application at UNHCR’s Office and provide you with an asylum seeker certificate; Assess your asylum application, and make a determination about your refugee status.
  • https://help.unhcr.org/morocco/fr/seeking-asylum-in-morocco/recognised-refugee/
    Une fois que vous êtes reconnu comme réfugié par le HCR, vous pouvez accéder à tous les services de protection fournis par le HCR et ses partenaires (tous les services disponibles peuvent être consultés ici) et vous avez le droit de demander une carte de réfugié et une carte de résident au gouvernement du Maroc. Carte de réfugié (carte de BRA) et de résident Le HCR est responsable de l’enregistrement et de la détermination du statut de réfugié au Maroc. Une fois que vous aurez été reconnu comme réfugié par le HCR, vous serez convoqué à une audience avec le Bureau des Réfugiés et Apatrides (BRA) afin d’obtenir une carte nationale de réfugié délivrée par le gouvernement marocain. Le HCR vous informera de la date et de l’heure de votre audience. Une fois l’audition avec le BRA terminée, vous recevrez un reçu et le BRA vous informera lorsque vous pourrez récupérer votre carte nationale de réfugié d’une validité d’un an et renouvelable pour trois ans (également appelée carte BRA). Dès que vous obtenez votre carte de réfugié, vous devez demander une carte de résident au service des étrangers et de la documentation de la préfecture de police de votre lieu de résidence (appelée préfecture de police au Maroc). Il vous sera demandé de remplir un formulaire de demande de carte de résident et de fournir une attestation de résidence telle que votre contrat de bail, vos fiches de paie, vos photos d’identité et d’autres documents. Veuillez contacter le commissariat de police de votre lieu de résidence avant de déposer votre demande afin de confirmer la liste des documents requis. La carte de séjour est valable un an et est renouvelable pour trois ans.

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

People who are in Morocco and wish to seek international protection with UNHCR; they can register even if they do not have any documents.

See recorded sources

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

Protection is requested in Morocco through a registration request to UNHCR, completed via a registration form that can be done in person or remotely: by calling the UNHCR Helpline (landline 05 37 54 54 00, WhatsApp +212 6 66 04 56 06), in Rabat by going directly to UNHCR's office at 10 avenue Mehdi Ben Barka, Souissi, or outside Rabat through UNHCR's partner OMDH at the nearest location.

See recorded sources

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

After contacting UNHCR Morocco, the asylum-seeker receives a registration-interview appointment. Once registered, the applicant and family members receive an asylum-seeker certificate; UNHCR later arranges a refugee-status determination interview and notifies the decision. A rejected first-instance applicant may appeal in writing within 30 days of notification. During the procedure, UNHCR says it registers and documents applicants, can support access to health care and school, provides psychosocial support when needed, and offers legal counselling and partner assistance to registered asylum-seekers. These services are described as available support, not an automatic cash payment or guaranteed protection outcome.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured UNHCR pages describe support channels and eligibility for counselling; they do not establish a universal cash-benefit amount, automatic work authorisation while an application is pending, or a guaranteed favourable RSD outcome.

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

For asylum and protection questions, contact the UNHCR Morocco registration helpline on 05 37 54 54 00 or +212 666045606, Monday to Friday 09:00–15:00, or the UNHCR office at 10 Avenue Mehdi Ben Barka, Souissi, Rabat. The UNHCR contacts page says numbers may be reached by WhatsApp calls only. For urgent arrest or detention matters it publishes +212 (0) 661 29 67 73, available every day 09:00–22:00. UNHCR states that all its services and those of its partners and community volunteers are free of charge; no payment is required to request help. Contacting UNHCR does not guarantee recognition or resettlement.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The previously captured registration page had conflicting 09:00–12:00/13:00 hours. The newly captured dedicated UNHCR contacts page gives 09:00–15:00 for the registration helpline; users should check it before calling. No source promises a favourable protection decision or routine resettlement.

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

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