A refugee is a person who was forced to flee their country of origin or residence due to ascertainable situation of persecution due to race, religión, nationality, political opinion or belonging to a particular social group. Refugees have faced grave violations to their human rights due to conflicto and violence and have a well-founded fear of returning to their country.
They have arrived to the Dominican Republic seeking the protection they couldn’t find in their own country. The Dominican government, through the National Office for Refugees (ONR) and the National Comission for Refugees (CONARE) are responsible for analyzing the cases and determining who is recognized as a refugee. The procedure is completely confidential, which means that the information shared with migration authorities is for exclusive use of said institution, and will not be shared externally with individuals or authorities from the country of origin of the asylum seeker. This procedure is personal and free of cost, it does not require intermediaries.
Rights of Refugees:
- Protection against forced return to the country of origin
- Right to documentation, in particular with regards to migration permit
- Right to family reunification
- Access to labor market
- Right to social security
- Freedom of movement
- Right to an interpreter and any specialist required to facilitate communication with the Dominican authorities, and
- Any other right that foreigners with regular status enjoy in the country
Obligations:
- Abstain from activities prohibited for foreigners
- Say the truth and not conceal any relevant information.
- Adequately identify family members or dependents, and provide relevant information about them
- Notify any change of household composition (birth, marriage, divorce, or any other related changes)
- Inform about place of residency (exact address) and notify within two (2) of any changes
- Notify about the intention to leave the Dominican Republic, wait for authorization and inform about return
- Renew documents every year and comply to the Constitution and laws of the Dominican Republic