Refugee status determination
Refugee Status Determination (RSD) is the process by which governments or UNHCR determine whether a person seeking international protection is considered a refugee under international, regional or national law.
RSD in Ethiopia is conducted by the Government of Ethiopia under the Refugee Proclamation No. 1110/2019. This law provides the legal and institutional framework for the government to take primary responsibility for determining refugee status in line with international, regional, and national standards.
According to Ethiopian laws, you may undergo a different procedure depending on your nationality to determine if you are considered a refugee.
Group process: You can be immediately recognized as a refugee in Ethiopia and given a Refugee document if you apply for asylum. This is called prima facie recognition.
Individual processes: You will undergo the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process, where the authorities will comprehensively assess your claims on an individual basis, as outlined in Refugees Proclamation No. 1110/2019.
In specific contexts, particularly in large-scale refugee movements or similar situations affecting many, UNHCR and host countries may assess refugee status collectively rather than individually for efficiency. This streamlined approach ensures a swift and comprehensive response to the unique needs of the affected population.
For more information on RSD, please view the FAQ 2025.
It is the Ethiopian Government, through the Refugee and Returnee Service (RRS), that decides on asylum applications. UNHCR is an observer in the process.
- Your UNHCR asylum-seeker registration card,
- Any documents relevant to support your refugee claim,
- If applicable, you and your family members’ original identification documents such as passports, ID cards, military booklet, marriage and birth certificates, medical reports, if any, etc.);
- Proof of previous registration with other UNHCR Offices.
- Submit any documents and evidence available regarding your asylum application
- Inform UNHCR about your family members accompanying you. Adult family members will be interviewed individually
- Tell the truth and be cooperative
- Confidentiality
- Be interviewed in a language you can communicate in,
- To be represented by a lawyer or a legal representative, who qualifies as such under UNHCR’s established procedures, during your RSD procedure.
Some interviews are conducted without requiring you to appear in person at the RRS offices through a videocall. If you have agreed to have a remote interview, make sure to:
- Use a smartphone with a functioning front camera and ensure you have a stable internet connection, as you are required to be on video.
- Be alone in the room you are taking the call. The interviewer will ask you to share personal and detailed information and that are confidential, so being by yourself is a requirement to ensure you are safe, comfortable and that the interview is conducted with integrity.
- Each applicant has a different profile, background, and reason for fleeing his/her country; hence, each case will be assessed individually, according to UNHCR rules and procedures.
- Please, do not pay attention to information/perceptions among refugees about specific stories to be presented in order to be granted refugee status.
- Intentionally misleading UNHCR about the facts of your case or your identity is fraud and unacceptable. Please note that this will negatively affect the processing of your case and may lead to a negative decision. UNHCR reserves the right to respond appropriately in such cases.
- Your statements and documents will be kept private and will not be shared by UNHCR with other third parties without your consent. Please note that under no circumstances will UNHCR share your information with the government of your country of origin.
- Do not sign any documents unless read, understood and approved by you.
- While in Ethiopia, you, like any other foreigner, are expected to respect the laws, customs and traditions of the society hosting you.
- Verbal and physical threats made against UNHCR staff violate national law. UNHCR will report any person making such threats to the Police, and this person may be prosecuted.
More commonly, recognized refugees and asylum seekers receive proof of registration and a Refugee Identity Document attesting to their refugee status in Ethiopia. Frequently, these also serve as evidence of the right to reside as a registered refugee.
However, additional documents are provided by RRS, such as support letters, pass permits, Out-of-Camp Policy (OCP) documents, birth certificates, etc.
The main legal instruments are the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, the 1969 OAU Convention and the Ethiopian Refugees Proclamation No. 1110/2019.