UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, has the mandate to protect and find durable solutions for refugees.
UNHCR cooperates closely with States receiving refugees. The role of UNHCR differs in each context. UNHCR in the UK does not conduct formal registration procedures, does not issue personal identification documents and does not examine asylum applications. The UK Government has sole authority to conduct these procedures. In the context of the applicable legal framework, the UK Home Office collects and processes your personal data.
Why do we process personal data?
Under limited circumstances, UNHCR’s UK office may be involved in seeking to resolve issues relating to your resettlement to the UK, although the primary UNHCR office in charge of this will be the office in the country in which you currently reside, if you are outside the UK, or in which you previously resided prior to resettlement. The type of assistance you may receive from UNHCR’s UK office depends on your personal situation and needs. In order to provide you with the necessary assistance, UNHCR’s UK office may need to collect and process your personal data.
A key function of UNHCR’s UK office is to advise and make recommendations to the UK government on the functioning of the UK’s asylum system. This is carried out in UNHCR’s supervisory capacity as conferred by Article 35 of the 1951 Refugee Convention. In order to fulfil this function, UNHCR sometimes reviews the functions of the Home Office. In conducting this work, UNHCR may observe and make notes on interviews which asylum applicants have with the Home Office. Additionally, members of UNHCR UK staff who have undergone Home Office security clearance are granted access to asylum case files held by the Home Office. UNHCR analyses information it obtains in these ways so as to advocate for the fairest possible asylum system. This analysis involves the processing of personal data.
How do we process personal data?
In accordance with our General Policy on the Protection of Personal Data and Privacy (2022) and the Policy on the Protection of Personal Data of Persons of Concern to UNHCR (2015), UNCHR will process your personal data only for a specific purpose and on a legitimate basis.
Where we are providing assistance to you in relation to a protection need, in relation to resettlement or in any other way, we will process your data on the basis of carrying out UNHCR’s mandate, or if it is essential for the protection of your vital interests or those of another individual, or your best interests if you are a child. UNHCR will always ensure that you are fully informed when we process your personal data in this context.
It is important that you provide accurate and complete information. You may also need to keep UNHCR informed of changes to your personal situation, if it is relevant to the specific assistance or services that we provide you.
All personal data you provide now and in the future is kept confidential. That means your data is stored securely by UNHCR’s UK office and is only accessible to UNHCR colleagues who need to know it for a specific purpose linked to providing you with assistance.
UNHCR will not share your personal data with authorities of your country of origin. However, if it is relevant to your situation and if UNHCR has a legitimate basis, such as your consent, your personal data may be shared with UK-based organisations or with the Home Office. In this case, information we share will be strictly limited to what is necessary in order to assist you. UNHCR will inform you when your personal data is shared with any of these third parties, the reason for the data sharing and what you can reasonably expect UNCHR to do on your behalf.
UK-based organisations and the Home Office are bound by UK data protection law. UNHCR will ensure that your personal data is shared with these entities securely and in line with data protection principles. However, UNHCR will not be responsible for the processing of your personal data by these entities after it is shared with them.
If we are processing your data solely for the purposes of our work advising the UK Government, we will process your data on the basis that the processing is necessary for, or otherwise enables, the performance of UNHCR’s mandate or its functions. We will pseudonymise such data so that there are minimal chances of you being identifiable in the event of a data breach. We will not share personal data obtained through this area of our work with anyone else.
The personal data we collect and process for the purposes of our work advising the UK Government will be retained until our advisory work is completed, or for a maximum of one year. The personal data we collect and process for the purposes of provide you with assistance is retained only as long as necessary for providing you with assistance, with exceptions for archiving, accountability, and long-term protection.
What are your rights?
You have the right to be informed by UNHCR about the following: (i) what data we have about you, (ii) how your data is used, (iii) which Partner, if any, processes your personal data on behalf of UNHCR, (iv) where your data is stored, (v) which data may be shared with others and with whom.
You can request a confirmation from UNHCR of the personal data that we hold about you, or the absence thereof, and obtain a copy of your personal data being processed by UNHCR. You have the right to object to UNHCR’s processing of your data because of your specific situation.
You also have the right to request correction of any incorrect, inaccurate or incomplete data about you, and request deletion of your personal data if you believe that UNHCR no longer has any purpose or legitimate basis to keep it.
Should you have any concerns or complaint regarding the processing of your personal data by UNHCR, you may lodge a complaint with us.
To exercise these rights, you can contact UNHCR’s UK office by emailing us at [email protected]. Please send any postal enquiries to: 10 Furnival Street, EC4A 1AB London, United Kingdom.
