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Derived Refugee Status and Family Reunification

TogoFamily

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

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Explore pathways in Togo Read the five questions ↓

Which family relationships qualify?

Derived refugee status extends to the family members of a recognised refugee who accompany or join them, unless those family members hold another nationality and already benefit from that country's protection. In practice this covers spouses and descendants/dependants, evidenced under Article 6 of the refugee law.

See recorded sources
  • Loi 2016-021, Article 6
    Le statut de refugie reconnu s'etend aux membres de sa famille qui l'accompagnent ou la rejoignent, sauf s'ils possedent une autre nationalite et beneficient de la protection de ce pays.

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

The sponsor is the principal applicant who has already been recognised as a refugee in Togo; the family members' status is expressly a “statut derive” (derived status) flowing from the principal's recognised refugee status, not an independent asylum claim.

See recorded sources
  • Loi 2016-021, Article 6
    Le statut de refugie reconnu s'etend aux membres de sa famille qui l'accompagnent ou la rejoignent, sauf s'ils possedent une autre nationalite et beneficient de la protection de ce pays.
  • Loi 2016-021, Article 9
    la dissolution de la famille par divorce, separation ou deces n'entraine pas la perte du statut de refugie des membres de la famille beneficiaires du statut derive.

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

For family members present in Togo, extension of refugee status is conditioned on producing a marriage certificate or a document establishing the family ties of parentage, filiation, adoption or dependency.

See recorded sources
  • Loi 2016-021, Article 6
    l'extension du statut est subordonnee a la production d'un certificat de mariage ou d'une piece etablissant les liens de parente, de filiation, d'adoption ou de dependance.

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

The asylum procedure is free of charge and non-discriminatory. The official source does not state financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities for the refugee or the family members.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured law text does not state a distinct financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance-support obligation owed by the sponsoring refugee toward accompanying or joining family members.

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?

Recognised refugees, including derived-status family members, receive a refugee card issued by the DGDN valid for five years and standing as a residence and stay title. Loss of the principal applicant's status does not extend to a spouse or dependants already recognised as refugees, and family dissolution by divorce, separation or death does not cause loss of the derived family members' status. Togolese authorities, with UNHCR and other bodies as needed, facilitate the refugee's family reunification.

See recorded sources
  • Loi 2016-021, Article 35
    la carte de refugie delivree par la DGDN ayant une validite de cinq (05) ans et valant titre de sejour et de residence
  • Loi 2016-021, Article 9
    la dissolution de la famille par divorce, separation ou deces n'entraine pas la perte du statut de refugie des membres de la famille beneficiaires du statut derive.
  • Loi 2016-021, Article 41
    Les autorites togolaises, avec le HCR et, au besoin, avec d'autres institutions internationales, facilitent le regroupement familial du refugie.

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

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