Following registration, UNHCR will give you an appointment for a Refugee Status Determination (RSD) interview. During this interview with a UNHCR staff, you will be asked to give details about the reasons and circumstances of departure from your country of origin. Shortly after the RSD interview, you will be notified of the decision related to your asylum request via a notification letter handed over to you by UNHCR ’s partner, the Tunisian Refugee Council (CTR).
Decision notification
If the decision is positive you will be recognized as a refugee and a refugee card will be delivered to you and to your dependents. The refugee card will be valid for a period of 2 years.
If the decision is negative (your application is rejected), UNHCR will explain to you the reasons of the rejection and the procedure to submit an appeal.
The appeal application should be handed by you directly to HCR in writing within 30 days.
You can also email your Appeal Application to the following address: [email protected]
If you don’t lodge an appeal within this deadline, your file will be closed.
Your appeal will be assessed, and you will be informed of the final decision. If your appeal is justified, you may be called for another interview following which an appeal decision may be handed over to you. This decision may grant you the refugee status or confirm the denial of your application. If your application is rejected on appeal, your file will be closed.
Case closure
UNHCR can close your file for the following reasons:
- If you do not attend your first refugee status determination interview and cannot be reached for three months
- If you do not attend your refugee status determination interview three times , without valid reasons;
- If you do not lodge an appeal of your negative decision within 30 days from the notification
- If you do not attend to your notification appointment for three consecutive times with no justification
It is IMPORTANT to inform UNHCR and CTR of any changes in your contact information (address, phone number) as this is the only way UNHCR and CTR can contact you for your appointments and to provide you updates on your case. If you do not do so you may be missing important information!
Please contact CTR helpline number on 58 574 595. Monday to Friday 9 am to 4 pm. Alternatively please contact UNHCR in Tunis at [email protected]
The asylum procedure is FREE and WITHOUT ANY CHARGES.
Under no circumstances should you accept any offers from people who are asking you for money to submit an asylum application, get an appointment or obtain a document.