Rights and Obligations of Asylum Seekers
As a person applying for refugee status recognition with COMAR, you have rights and responsibilities.
Rights
No refugee or asylum seeker can be returned to their country while their application is being reviewed.
The information you share in your application will not be shared with anyone without your permission, not even with the authorities of your country.
No one can discriminate against you because of your race, gender, religion, or nationality.
As an asylum seeker, you have the right to receive information about your procedure and to access your case file.
You have the right to be interviewed by a COMAR officer, individually and under appropriate conditions.
If you do not speak Spanish, you have the right to have an interpreter in your language.
The procedure to apply for refugee status recognition is free. No authority should ask you for any payment.
If you receive a negative decision, you have the right to request a review of your case, called in spanish “Recurso de revisión”. You have 15 working days after receiving the decision to do so.
Foreign nationals have the right to apply for refugee status either in person or through a legal representative. If you begin the process through a legal representative, you must confirm your application within the next three working days.
If you are with your family members, you can start your procedure either as a group or individually. If you apply as a group, everyone will receive the same decision.
At any time, you have the right to say that you do not wish to continue with the process. You must do this in writing.
Every asylum seeker can contact the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to receive information and guidance.
Contact UNHCR in Mexico
Toll-free number: 800 226 8769 or 800 283 2718 (Outside Mexico, dial +52 first)
WhatsApp: +52 55 7005 5950 and +52 55 2535 2950
e-mail: [email protected]
Office hours:
Monday to Thursday: 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.
El Jaguar can also give you information and answer your questions through its Facebook page.
Obligations
It is important that you tell the truth in your application and include as much detail as possible. Remember that COMAR does not know you.
If you are the main applicant, you must go to sign at the COMAR or INM office (where you started your process) on the dates you are told while your case is being processed. If you fail to sign, your application will be considered abandoned.
You must stay in the state where you submitted your application. If you want to move to a different state, you must request authorization from COMAR. Keep in mind that if you move without COMAR’s permission, your case will be considered abandoned.