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Protected Family Member of a Recognised Refugee

Sierra LeoneFamily

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

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Explore pathways in Sierra Leone Read the five questions ↓

Which family relationships qualify?

The spouse (including a common law spouse); any unmarried child of the refugee, including an adopted child, under the age of eighteen years; or any person related to the refugee by blood or marriage who is dependent on the refugee.

See recorded sources

Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

A recognised refugee: a person recognised as a refugee under the Act or a member of a class declared to be refugees; the family member of a recognised refugee is a "protected person".

See recorded sources

What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

An asylum seeker without identity documents must certify to the authorities their identity, date and place of birth, family status and details of family members. The official source does not prescribe specific documentary proof of the family relationship.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • No specific documentary proof of relationship is prescribed.

What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm the financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance requirements.

How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

Protected persons have the rights and duties of the listed UN and OAU Convention articles; family members may remain in Sierra Leone while the refugee's claim is pending; if the refugee's recognition is cancelled, family members lose derived status but may apply for refugee status in their own right. The official source does not state the application process or the duration of protected status.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Duration of protected status is not stated.
  • https://sierralii.gov.sl/akn/sl/act/2007/6/eng@2007-08-30
    Subject to this Act, every recognised refugee and every protected person within Sierra Leone—(a)shall be entitled to the rights and be subject to the duties contained in—(i)the Articles of the United Nations Convention which are set out in Part I of the Schedule; and (ii)the Articles of the OAU Convention which are set out in Part II of the Schedule;
  • https://sierralii.gov.sl/akn/sl/act/2007/6/eng@2007-08-30
    (1)Notwithstanding any other enactment, any person who has applied under section 8 for recognition as pending a refugee, and every member of his family shall have the right to remain within Sierra Leone
  • https://sierralii.gov.sl/akn/sl/act/2007/6/eng@2007-08-30
    (9)Where recognition as a refugee is cancelled, that person and the members of his family shall be deemed not to have been recognised as refugees:Provided that nothing in this subsection shall prevent a member of the family of the person concerned from applying for and being considered as a refugee under section 8.

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

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