United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Azerbaijan announced the termination of procedure for determining refugee status in Azerbaijan for individuals applying for international protection from July 1, 2020, the agency’s official website reported on July 1.
Decision is made with reference to arrangements between the State Migration Service of Azerbaijan and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the country.
Therefore, as of July 1, 2020, applications from asylum seekers will be considered only by the State Migration Service and national courts, but no longer by UNHCR.
Moreover, UNHCR will not be issuing protection letters for new asylum- seekers who lodge asylum application on or after July 1, 2020.
These changes will not have any negative or retroactive effect on the registration and documentation process with UNHCR for those asylum seekers who applied before July 1, 2020.
UNHCR, within the limits of the financial resources at its disposal, will continue regular protection and assistance activities.
Cooperation between the United Nations (UN) and the Republic of Azerbaijan began in 1992 with Azerbaijan’s admission as a Member State.
The work of the United Nations System is guided by the United Nations-Azerbaijan Partnership Framework (UNAPF) 2016-2020.
Agreed in 2016, this is the fourth cooperation document to have been signed between the United Nations agencies and the Government, and marks a transition from the assistance paradigm to a greater emphasis on an expanded partnership which enhances the effectiveness and stronger coherence of the UN support, maximizing its value as a viable partner in increasing development impact and achieving measurable results.
By Ayya Lmahamad