Philippines: Information on the role of the UNHCR in refugee cases and on the asylum process, and on the rights granted to an individual possessing UNHCR certification as a refugee
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | PHL22860.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Philippines: Information on the role of the UNHCR in refugee cases and on the asylum process, and on the rights granted to an individual possessing UNHCR certification as a refugee, 1 April 1996, PHL22860.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abd15b.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a letter received from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which is based on information current as of December 1992, the refugee determination process in the Philippines distinguishes between Indochinese and non-Indochinese asylum seekers (4 Apr. 1996). The UNHCR is responsible for administering both processes (ibid.). Refugee determination of Indochinese claimants is governed by the Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was agreed to by the Philippine government in 1989 (ibid). UNHCR certification as a refugee does not alter refugees' status according to Philippine law, which only provides for temporary asylum and not local settlement (ibid). For additional information, please consult the attached letter from the UNHCR. For background information on the refugee process in the Philippines, please consult the attachments from the World Refugee Report and World Refugee Survey.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ottawa. 4 April 1996. Letter received by the DIRB.
Attachments
Bureau for Refugee Programs. July 1993. World Refugee Report. Washington, DC: United States Department of State, pp. 102-04.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ottawa. 4 April 1996. Letter received by the DIRB.
US Committee for Refugees (USCR). 1995. World Refugee Survey 1995. Washington, DC: USCR, p. 3.