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Refugee Status Determination — asylum in the Philippines

PhilippinesHumanitarian protection

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

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Explore pathways in Philippines Read the five questions ↓

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

This is asylum through a refugee status determination procedure led and conducted by the Department of Justice Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit (DOJ-RSPPU), the process by which refugees and stateless persons are recognised by the Philippine Government. The Philippines is a State Party to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.doj.gov.ph/rsppu.html
    By virtue of the DOJ Department Circular No. 58, s. 2012, the Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit (RSPPU), composed of State Counsels from the Legal Staff performing ancillary functions as Protection Officers, was established to lead the Refugee and Stateless Status Determination Procedure and to ensure protection of Persons of Concern (POC) of the Philippine Government.
  • https://www.doj.gov.ph/rsppu.html
    One of the primary tasks of the DOJ-RSPPU is to lead and conduct the status determination procedure for refugees and stateless persons in the country, or the process by which refugees and stateless persons are recognized by the Philippine Government.
  • https://www.doj.gov.ph/rsppu.html
    The Republic of the Philippines is a State Party to the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, including its 1967 Protocol, the 1954 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, and the 1961 United Nations Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness which are complemented by international human rights instruments.

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

Refugees, stateless persons and asylum seekers in the Philippines; status determination is for refugees and stateless persons in the country.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The capture does not reproduce the refugee definition (persecution grounds) or any exclusion criteria.
  • Captured page is an excerpt; omitted sections were not reviewed.
  • https://www.doj.gov.ph/rsppu.html
    EO 163, s. 2022 institutionalizes access to protection services for refugees, stateless persons, and asylum seekers in the Philippines.
  • https://www.doj.gov.ph/rsppu.html
    One of the primary tasks of the DOJ-RSPPU is to lead and conduct the status determination procedure for refugees and stateless persons in the country, or the process by which refugees and stateless persons are recognized by the Philippine Government.

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

In the Philippines, with the DOJ Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit (DOJ Main Building, Padre Faura Street, Ermita, City of Manila; Monday by confirmed appointment only, Tuesday to Friday walk-ins, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, except public holidays). Applicants must keep their visa valid while the application is assessed and wait to be contacted for an interview.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The 7-step process flowchart was not captured (the sentence introducing it is broken in the copy: 'DOJ Department Circua 7-step process'), so filing steps are not described.
  • Border/airport requests are not addressed.

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

Applicants wait to be contacted for an interview, must keep their visa valid during assessment, hold a Certificate of Pending Application (CPA) that must be renewed (a representative can renew it with an authorisation letter, identity document copy, old CPA and renewal request), must report changes of address or contact number within seven (7) days, must inform DOJ-RSPPU of travel outside the Philippines and report within seven (7) days of return, have the right to legal counsel, and applying is free of charge. As may be provided under existing laws, Persons of Concern enjoy rights including access to socio-economic services, social security and labour standards, gainful employment, basic and secondary education, access to courts and legal assistance, freedom of movement, and identity and travel documents.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Rights list applies to Persons of Concern generally and is qualified 'as may be provided under existing laws, rules, and regulations'; the page does not say which rights apply before recognition.
  • Family handling is not described.
  • CPA validity period is not stated.

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

Department of Justice – Refugees and Stateless Persons Protection Unit (DOJ-RSPPU), DOJ Main Building, Padre Faura Street, Ermita, City of Manila; telephone +632 8524-9315; email rsppu@doj.gov.ph. Applicants may engage a private lawyer or seek assistance from the Public Attorney’s Office. Applying for refugee status is free of charge.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • UNHCR is not named in the captured excerpt (omitted sections not reviewed).
  • No explicit scam/fraud warning beyond the free-of-charge statement.

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

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