Apply for Asylum

In any country that you seek asylum, it is the primary responsibility of the government to provide oversight of this process.  

In Trinidad and Tobago, in the absence of refugee legislation, it is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), that adjudicates claims for asylum and maintains oversight for refugees and asylum seekers under its mandate in collaboration with the Living Water Community.  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is authorized by the government to register and determine asylum applications in Trinidad and Tobago. 

To register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as an asylum-seeker, you must present yourself to the Living Water Community (LWC), its implementing partner in Trinidad and Tobago, in order to pre-register.  However, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, pre-registration will be done remotely until further notice.  You can contact the following numbers via WhatsApp video call to seek asylum:

• Mondays and Tuesdays: (868) 281-8737 or (868) 329-0734
• Wednesdays and Thursdays: (868) 279-4422 or (868) 296-4271

If you are at the border, or any port of entry (e.g. an airport or seaport), in Trinidad and Tobago, you can claim asylum* before an immigration official.

You will receive a registration kit and appointment to complete your registration at UNHCR’s office.  Once registered, you will receive an Asylum Identification Card.  Subsequently, we will be contacted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to schedule your refugee status determination (RSD) interview whereby the commissioner will determine whether to grant your refugee status or reject your application.

*Please note that you must be present in Trinidad and Tobago in order to seek asylum in this country.