UNHCR is the United Nations refugee agency that provides protection and assistance to refugees, asylum seekers, stateless and internally displaced people, as well as persons who are forced to flee from their country in times of emergency.
UNHCR processes personal data pursuant to the UNHCR General Policy on Data Protection and Privacy (2022) and Policy on the Protection of Personal Data of Persons of Concern to UNHCR (2015)
This privacy notice will explain how our organization uses the personal data we collect from you when you use this self-enrollment platform.
- What data do we collect and why?
In the Arab Republic of Egypt, UNHCR may assist and provide protection services to stateless persons and persons forced to flee their countries of origin. This assistance and services may include documentation issuance, protection against involuntary return to their home countries, support with accessing medical services, education, – subject to specific preconditions – financial support, and durable solutions. To do so, UNHCR needs to register persons seeking UNHCR’s support.
Once you create an account on this portal, we will use your personal data (and personal data of dependent relatives you add to your account) for the following purposes:
a. To initiate your registration process, establish a unique identity and provide you with an appointment for in-person interview, we will request the following information from you and the persons you choose to jointly register with you:
- Full name,
- Date of birth,
- Phone number and personal email,
- Photograph,
- Personal identification number (if available),
- In case you have an identity document, document type and document number,
- Digital images of any documents uploaded by you to support your claimed identity,
- Alternative means of communication such as your WhatsApp number.
- Your nationality,
- Your last residential address in your country of origin,
- Your current location (governorate, district level) in Egypt. The portal will also process your IP address to confirm that you are currently in Egypt,
- Your date of arrival in Egypt,
- Your availability for a personal interview.
b. To manage and prioritize your case for in-person appointment and to address any immediate protection needs you may have, we will request the following information from you and the family members you choose to jointly register with you:
- Your legal status / residence status in Egypt,
- Your protection needs and vulnerabilities.
c. To allow you to manage your personal information submitted to UNHCR. At the moment, you would only be able to update your phone number. In the future, UNHCR will provide a broader selection of self-services available through the Portal.
UNHCR will not be able to provide you with assistance without the requested personal data, which will be verified during your in-person appointment. If you provide inaccurate or false information, it may affect your eligibility for protection and assistance. If you feel uncomfortable with sharing your personal data through this online portal, or if you don’t have all information at hand, you can request a registration interview in person at one of UNHCR offices.
Please note that all personal data you enter through this portal will be verified during an in-person interview with UNHCR. You can read here about UNHCR registration procedure in Egypt and its outcomes for you: https://help.unhcr.org/egypt/en/registration/.
To ensure your continued access to the portal and UNHCR being able to communicate with you, the email address and phone number provided by you to create an account at the web portal will be verified via one-time password (OTP) during account creation.
The legal basis for collecting, storing and processing your personal data is UNHCR’s mandate as established by the United Nations General Assembly (https://www.unhcr.org/media/statute-office-united-nations-high-commissioner-refugees).
- Where and how long do we store your data?
UNHCR uses decentralized Microsoft Cloud storage to host the Portal and related UNHCR systems and to provide technical support and maintenance services under UNHCR instructions.
We will keep your data in the portal to register you in UNHCR’s case management system proGres during your registration appointment. Once your registration is completed, if you agree, we will continue keeping your data in the portal to enable you to view the data we have stored on your behalf, and to update your contact information through the portal.
If you do not visit UNHCR for a registration interview within a period of 12 months after creating an account in the portal, your account and associated personal data will be deleted from the portal, unless you have a valid registration interview appointment.
Your account will also be deleted if you do not submit an application for a registration interview within six months after you created your account, or if you do not enter any personal data in the portal within four weeks after account creation.
Other than that, you may contact UNHCR to request the deletion of your account.
- Who will have access to your data?
All information shared by you through the portal will be kept confidential and only used by qualified personnel of UNHCR and partners to perform their duties.
To ensure your effective protection against refoulement (i.e., the prevention of your involuntary return to your country of origin), to facilitate your taking up of legal residence in Egypt, and to enable your access to public services in Egypt including access to the health system and the education system we will share your basic biodata with the following Egyptian government partners:
- Egyptian Foreign Office
- Egyptian Home Office (Ministry of the Interior, Department for Residential Affairs)
UNHCR’s non-governmental partners may conduct assessments and targeting for provision of life-saving assistance and services. We may share your personal data with such partner organizations for this purpose.
Under no circumstances, will we share your personal data with the government in your country of origin or any other entity other than those indicated above without your consent.
- What are your data subject rights?
UNHCR would like to make sure you are fully aware of your rights as a user of the portal. Every user is entitled to the following:
- You can access your personal data by logging on to your profile.
- You can request correction of the personal data you submitted if it is inaccurate or incomplete. Note: Once you submit your application, you will no longer be able to change your data, except for the date of your in-person appointment and your contact information.
- You can also request us to delete some of your data from the portal if you believe it to be excessive.
Please note that requests for correction and deletion may be subject to verification. In the interest of protecting the integrity and reliability of your data, UNHCR may reserve the right to ask for evidence supporting requests for alteration of critical personal information.
- You have the right to object how we process your personal data in certain circumstances, for example if you believe it may put you under serious risk. Such requests will be evaluated by UNHCR on a case-by-case basis.
You can request the correction, deletion or raise any objection during your in-person appointment. Moreover, if you believe your rights have been violated by UNHCR’s processing of your personal data, you may lodge a complaint by writing an email to [email protected] or escalate it with the UNHCR Inspector General’s Office. All complaints are treated with strict confidentiality.
Please note that closing your profile or deleting mandatory data from it may impact your appointment and the duration of your interview.
- Changes to this privacy notice
UNHCR keeps its privacy notice under regular review and places any updates on this web page. This privacy notice was last updated on 11 August 2023. In case anything changes about the way we process your personal data collected through the Portal, we will inform you about the change and what implications it has for you.
- How to contact us
If you have any questions about UNHCR’s privacy notice, the data we hold on you, or you would like to exercise one of your data subject rights, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Email us at: [email protected]
Call us:
📞0227390400
Or write to us at:
- UNHCR Egypt
- 17th Mekka El Mokrama Street, 3rd proximity, 7th District,
- Behind 6th of October Club, 6th of October City,
- Greater Cairo, Egypt
- Do we use cookies?
Cookies are text files placed on your computer to collect standard Internet log information and visitor behavior information. When you visit UNHCR’s websites, our web host (Microsoft) may collect information from you automatically through cookies or similar technology.
Microsoft uses cookies to improve your experience on our website, including:
- Keeping you signed in,
- Understanding how you use our website,
- Providing interest-based advertising.
For further information, visit https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement#maincookiessimilartechnologiesmodule.