Frequently Asked Questions on the Continuous Registration Exercise

• What is the Continuous Registration Exercise?

It is a voluntary opportunity to update your individual and family registration information held by the Government of Bangladesh and UNHCR. Updating your information may be necessary due to natural human events such as births, deaths, marriage, divorce, and changes in your individual or family protection circumstances. You may also need to update and correct errors in your data and replace or renew your Smart Card and Family Attestation. The opportunity is available throughout the year to ensure that your data is always accurate and complete and to help you access the protection, assistance, and solutions you are entitled to.

The Continuous Registration Exercise differs from a Verification Exercise, a time-limited activity mandatory for the whole population.

• Who conducts the Exercise?

The Exercise is conducted jointly by the Government of Bangladesh and UNHCR.

• Who is eligible to participate in the Exercise?

The Exercise is open to all Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh. It includes the “Registered Refugees” who arrived in the early 1990s, their family members currently recorded in the MRC database, and those registered under the FCN database. These FAQs concern all Rohingya.

• What issues can be processed during the Exercise?

All issues concerning updating your individual and family data in your Smart Card and the Family Attestation are addressed in the Exercise. These include:

1. Registration of births,
2. Changing the composition of your family, for example, adding or splitting individuals from your FCN or MRC and getting a new FCN or MRC,
3. Changing your address of residence,
4. Registration of unregistered Rohingya individuals,
5. Removing family members who are deceased or have left Bangladesh,
6. Replacing or obtaining new Smart Cards and Family Attestations,
7. Updating changes in your individual or family’s specific needs and,
8. Updating or correcting your biodata, such as age, name spellings, and education level.

• What do I need to have when making registration applications?

Depending on the issues you would like assistance with, you may be required to provide specific documents and information to the Government and UNHCR. For some applications, you will require your Camp-in-Charge (CiC) approval. These requirements are put in place to ensure the integrity of the process and protect your data from unauthorised changes. Please remember that submitting altered, fabricated, or irregularly obtained documents to UNHCR as part of your application is wrong and can be considered fraudulent.

Below are examples of some of the requirements for different applications:

	What you are applying for	What you require
a)	Registration of new-borns	Newborn registration is based on your child’s Birth Information Note (BN). The health facility responsible for your camp will initiate the BN, which will be endorsed by your CiC. All children are entitled to a BN. Please ensure you obtain it for your child as soon as possible after birth and then apply for the child’s registration.Children born before 1 January 2024 who have not obtained their BN will be registered based on documents proving their parentage, including the mother’s Antenatal card, the child’s delivery note, vaccination, and health cards.
b)	Changing family composition	Marriage or Divorce Certificate issued by a CiC. Please obtain the certificates before applying for continuous registration.In the absence of the certificates, a CiC approval is required.
c)	Changing camp address	For self-relocation desired by your family for various reasons, you require written approval by both CiCs of the camp you are moving from and going to. We prefer you obtain the approval before applying for registration. If you have not obtained it, we will assist you to apply.For relocations conducted under the initiative of the CiCs or the RRRC, you do not need further approvals. UNHCR will systematically be informed.
d)	Registration of unregistered Rohingya individuals	Documents or related information establishing that you are Rohingya,Written approval by the CiC or RRRC.
e)	Inactivation of deceased and absent individuals	– Information and, where available, any documents concerning the death or absence.
f)	Replacing or obtaining new documents	To replace documents lost following a fire or other emergencies, CiCs provide general approvals to replace them. You do not have to obtain the approval individually. Check with Site Management to be included in the lists.For documents lost/misplaced otherwise than in an emergency, a CiC approval is required.To replace defaced or torn documents, you must bring the old ones.No documentation is required to obtain Smart Cards for children turning 12 years old.
g)	Correcting biodata errors	– Documents or information supporting the application. Documents should be those lawfully issued by a competent government agency in Myanmar, Bangladesh, or elsewhere before your registration in Bangladesh.

• How can I apply to participate in the Exercise?

For all registration services, you and your family can participate as follows:

1. Apply at the Registration Appointment Desks (RAD) in your CiC’s office. The RAD is managed by a UNHCR staff member sitting at all CiC offices at least once every week, according to the schedule below. Only the head of the family or any adult family member needs to go to the CiC office to apply. Please note that in Bhasan Char, the RAD is located at the Registration Site and is open daily.
2. The UNHCR staff will give you information on what you need for the application(s). If it requires CiC approval, the staff will help you fill out the application, print it, and submit it to the CiC free of charge.
3. When all the required information and documents for your application are available, the UNHCR staff will provide you with a physical appointment slip to go to your assigned Registration Site. The staff will help you liaise with the site if you face any problems.
4. Below is the application RAD schedule in the CiCs’ office. Please note that the schedule is indicative only and may change before we update these FAQs. The CiCs may request temporary changes in the schedule to address a higher number of pending cases in some camps.

NOTE: UNHCR does not charge a fee for any services for refugees. UNHCR staff members should never ask you to pay money to access registration services. If you are asked to pay money in relation to your registration application or for any other services, please do not pay and report the incident immediately.

• Which Registration Site is responsible for my camp?

There are eight Joint Registration Sites – seven in Cox’s Bazar and one in Bhasan Char. Your camp is assigned to the closest Registration Site. The assignment also ensures that each site covers nearly the same number of families. Below is the current site assigned to your camp:

Please note that families residing in Camp 3 (Blocks D, E, F and G) will apply for registration appointments at Camp 3 CiC’s office. However, they will receive appointments to go to the Camp 17 Registration Site for processing since it is closest to them.

• How long does it take to obtain an appointment for registration?

Your application will be processed as soon as possible. Your appointment may depend on your obtaining the required documents. For example, where you require a CiC approval, you will receive an appointment only when the approval is issued. The appointment date will depend on the number of pending applications, the Registration Sites’ capacity, and your case’s urgency as determined by UNHCR. The UNHCR staff will indicate the processing time when you present your application. You can continue to check with the staff for updated feedback, as they are directly involved in the activities at the Registration Site assigned for your camp.

• How are registration applications prioritised?

Generally, all applications will be attended to on a first-come, first-served basis. We will try to address your registration issues since we know they are all important to you. However, where the overall number of applications exceeds all Registration Sites’ weekly capacity, we will prioritise issues immediately impacting your family’s access to protection and assistance interventions.

Typically, birth registration, replacement of lost Family Attestations, update of camp addresses, and changes in family compositions would be prioritised. When fires or other hazards cause an emergency, affected families would be prioritised to replace lost documents. The prioritisation criteria may change depending on the context.

• How can children turning twelve years old apply for their identity cards?

From 1 October 2024, all children turning twelve can apply for Smart Cards at the RADs, just like other registration applications. Until then, the Government and UNHCR have been conducting an exercise to systematically issue Smart Cards to all eligible individuals who have never received them. UNHCR enumerators are going camp by camp and shelter by shelter to provide appointments to these individuals. Please see a separate communication on this exercise. Please make sure your family takes advantage of this opportunity.

• When should I go to the Registration Site once I have an appointment slip?

Please go to the Registration Site only on the day and time indicated in your appointment slip. If you go earlier, you will not be attended to. We may call you to reschedule your appointment to an earlier or later day. In those cases, we will update your appointment slip, or where not possible, the Registration Site will have your new date in the admission database. We will call you through the following mobile phone numbers only:

If you receive a call from a number other than the above for an appointment, please be cautious and verify the caller’s identity. If in doubt, contact UNHCR and report immediately.

• What should I do if I cannot attend the Registration Site on the appointed day?

If you cannot attend on the appointed date for unavoidable reasons, we recommend you return to the RAD in your CiC’s office, which will give you another appointment. Please do not go to the site directly on another day because you will not be attended to. You may also inform us in advance through the RAD that you cannot make it, and we will change your date.

• What should I do if my case is not completed after I go to the Registration Site?

Once you go to the Registration Site, the UNHCR staff will manage all processes. If you cannot complete the case on the appointed date, the staff will provide you with another appointment.

• Who should go to the Registration Site with the appointment?

In applications where the number of individuals in your family changes, we request that you bring all your family members to the Registration Site so that we can update the family photograph and related information. Where the issue will affect the family composition of more than one family, all members of the families concerned should go to the Registration Site. Please remember this when you are obtaining your appointment. You can request the RAD staff to schedule you on a day when all the required family members can attend.

For other applications, only the head of the family and the concerned individuals should attend. Remember to bring the originals of the required documents and CiCs’ approvals.

• What should I do if I or a family member is physically incapacitated because of illness, old age, or disabilities?

The Government and UNHCR maintain a mobile registration facility at all Registration Sites. Any member of your family can obtain a registration appointment. The RAD will arrange with the Registration Site for staff to visit the individual with mobility difficulty/challenge in your shelter. Please do not carry these individuals to the Registration Sites since they will be unnecessarily inconvenienced and may put them at risk of further harm.

• What documents are issued during the Exercise?

A Family Attestation is issued to each family where there is a change in the family’s composition or address. In addition, a Factsheet, which summarises all information held by the Government and UNHCR about your family, will be issued to every family. This is an important document to identify if any information is inaccurate or outdated. We will issue Smart Cards to all individuals aged twelve years and above who have never received the cards or to individuals whose biographical information has been updated during the Exercise.

• What issues cannot be processed during the Exercise?

If you have issues concerning WFP’s processes, please approach WFP’s outlets directly, and you will be assisted. These include issues such as:

1. There is a difference between the family size in WFP’s SCOPE card and the GOB-UNHCR Family Attestation, or you do not have or have lost your SCOPE card,
2. You are not receiving food,
3. You do not know whether you are eligible for any WFP in-kind, voucher or other programmes, and,
4. You do not know where to receive your assistance from WFP.

• What duty do my family members and I have when participating in the Exercise?

You have a duty to provide truthful information at all times during your contact with UNHCR. If you hide or fail to provide truthful information, this may affect UNHCR’s ability to assess your request appropriately. Please also note that UNHCR takes fraud very seriously. If you have been found to have committed fraud, this will likely be recorded in your file with UNHCR.

• Where can I obtain more information about the Exercise and report any concerns on registration services?

For questions concerning the message shared above or about the Exercise generally, please visit UNHCR or CIC offices or speak to any UNHCR protection or field staff. You may also visit any Information Service Centres or Complaints and Feedback Mechanism desks. If you are unsure where to find information, ask a Site Management volunteer or a Community Outreach Member. You can also reach UNHCR for any concerns, feedback, suggestions, or further information through:

1. Email address: [email protected]
2. Call UNHCR Helpline: 16670. Calling is free of charge.
3. Visit the UNHCR Help Page online.
4. For questions about how we protect your data, see our Privacy Notice on the Help Page online.
5. You can also write to us at [email protected].
6. If you wish to report fraud, please email [email protected] or drop a letter in a UNHCR Complaints Box.
7. You may also visit the nearest Complaints and Feedback Mechanism (CFM) Desk.
8. If you have concerns or information about possible misconduct by any UNHCR staff member or other person/entities with a contractual relationship with UNHCR or if you have reason to believe that they have not behaved correctly, please report directly to the UNHCR’s Inspector General’s Office (IGO) by sending an email to [email protected]. Please also visit the UNHCR website for more details (https://www.unhcr.org/about-unhcr/governance-and-oversight/inspector-generals-office-igo).

ALL Government and UNHCR Registration Services are FREE of charge.

20 June 2024