At the end of 2002, there were 2,700 refugees living in Argentina, including 1,000 Peruvians, 320 Cubans, 130 Armenians, and 1,200 others of various nationalities. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 1,100 of these were persons with refugee status and 1,500 were asylum applicants whose claims were pending at year's end. Argentina received 280 new asylum applicants during 2002, including 160 Peruvians, 25 Cubans, and 25 Senegalese. The government of Argentina reports that, during the year, it granted 78 asylum requests and rejected 520 (including some filed prior to 2002).

Argentina is a party to the UN Refugee Convention and Protocol. The government's Committee on Refugee Eligibility is responsible for conducting refugee status determinations. The government grants asylum applicants "precarious residence" status, which permits the applicants to reside, work, and study in Argentina. Asylum applicants whose claims are approved receive "temporary residence" status for three years, after which they can apply for permanent residence and may subsequently apply for citizenship. In 2002, Argentina granted permanent residence to 24 refugees.

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