What is Asylum?
The purpose of asylum is to provide protection to those individuals to whom protection is not provided by their countries of origin.
You have the right to apply for asylum. For you to qualify for asylum, you need to have specific reasons to fear persecution in your home country. These reasons may be related to, for instance, your race, your religion or your nationality. Also, if you face a real risk of suffering serious harm in your home country, you may qualify for a form of international protection. If you left your country only for economic or personal reasons, then there are not enough grounds for you to be recognized as a refugee or person in need of subsidiary protection, you will then not be given asylum.
Who is an asylum-seeker?
Asylum-seekers are people who have expressed a fear of return to their country of origin either at a port of entry or after entering Aruba. Asylum-seekers must complete an asylum application with Government of Aruba to be officially registered as an asylum-seeker.
Following registration as an asylum-seeker, a refugee status determination procedure will be conducted to determine who is a refugee.
Asylum-seekers are protected from forced return to their country of origin from the time they express a fear of return until a final decision on refugee status is determined.
If you are afraid to return to your country of origin, or country of previous residence, because you are in danger of suffering serious harm for reasons related to your race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, you can apply for asylum in Aruba.
Who is a refugee?
A refugee is a person who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, armed conflict or violence for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution and, because of such fear, cannot return home or is afraid to do so because they would not be able to find protection there.
Following registration as an asylum-seeker, a refugee status determination procedure will be conducted to determine who is a refugee.
Refugees are protected from forced return to their country of origin.