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Refugee Status Determination and International Protection Residence

EcuadorHumanitarian protection

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

Programme source

Explore pathways in Ecuador Read the five questions ↓

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

This is a refugee-status (and statelessness) determination procedure for international protection: requests for international protection relating to refuge are received by the competent authority, and a technical body, the Refugee and Statelessness Commission (Comisión de Refugio y Apatridia), recognises and determines refugee and/or stateless status. Determination is governed by the Constitution, international refugee and human-rights instruments, the Organic Law on Human Mobility and the Regulation.

See recorded sources
  • Recorded source · www.cancilleria.gob.ec
    Art. 152.- Instancia técnica.- Para reconocer y determinar la condición de persona refugiada y/o apátrida, la máxima autoridad de movilidad humana constituirá una instancia técnica denominada Comisión de Refugio y Apatridia y emitirá la normativa relacionada a su funcionamiento.
  • Recorded source · www.cancilleria.gob.ec
    Art. 153.- Persona refugiada.- La determinación de la condición de refugiado se regirá por las disposiciones y principios contemplados en la Constitución de la República, instrumentos internacionales de refugio y de derechos humanos, Ley Orgánica de Movilidad Humana, disposiciones contempladas en el presente reglamento, y las resoluciones que adopte la autoridad de movilidad humana.
  • Recorded source · www.cancilleria.gob.ec
    Art. 158.- Recepción de solicitudes.- Las solicitudes de protección internacional relativa al refugio serán receptadas por la autoridad competente en la materia.

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

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm the population or circumstances the mechanism covers.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • This detail is not established in the evidence recorded here. Confirm the applicable requirement with the responsible authority.

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

Protection is requested from inside Ecuador: the applicant must be physically in the country and apply as soon as possible after entry. The request (verbal or written) goes to the competent authority within 90 days of entry; later requests are considered late (extemporaneous), except that the highest human-mobility authority may exceptionally accept them for proven fortuitous event or force majeure. The online application is started at www.gob.ec by searching 'Refugio' and choosing 'Determination of Refugee or Stateless Status'.

See recorded sources
  • Recorded source · help.unhcr.org
    You must be physically in Ecuador and submit the application as soon as possible after entering the country.
  • Recorded source · www.cancilleria.gob.ec
    La persona extranjera deberá presentar la solicitud verbal o escrita de reconocimiento de la condición de refugiado ante la autoridad competente, dentro de los noventa (90) días posteriores a su ingreso al país. Transcurrido este tiempo, serán consideradas extemporáneas. La máxima autoridad de movilidad humana de forma excepcional, por razones de caso fortuito o fuerza mayor debidamente comprobadas, podrá aceptar a trámite una solicitud de refugio presentada de forma extemporánea.
  • Recorded source · help.unhcr.org
    Go to the website www.gob.ec In the search bar, type the word “Refugio” and click on the magnifying glass. Several options will appear. Click on the one that says “Determination of Refugee or Stateless Status.”

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

Recorded expiry date

. Confirmation is required after this date. Check the linked sources before relying on this recorded answer.

After submission, the Ministry contacts the applicant for registration and interview. Missing an interview requires justification within a maximum of eight days or the case will not continue. After the interview, a renewable six-month humanitarian visa is issued until a decision is made; UNHCR and the Public Defender’s Office can provide guidance or accompaniment.

See recorded sources

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

UNHCR Ecuador can be contacted by WhatsApp (+593 23420120) or by email by anyone unsure whether they are a refugee, and the Public Defender's Office (Defensoría Pública) gives legal advice or accompaniment; under the Regulation any applicant may be represented by a public or private defender. If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility does not respond within a reasonable period, the applicant may write to the Ministry's email or visit one of its offices. UNHCR states the process is completely free.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The UNHCR and Ministry email addresses are obfuscated ('[email protected]') in the capture, so they cannot be quoted.
  • The captured sources contain no explicit fraud/scam warning beyond the statement that the process is free.

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

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