To apply for asylum in Curacao you must personally go to the Curaçao Police Aliens Border Control and Supervision Unit, UVTG, and fill out an application there. You can contact them with any questions or information. Curaçao does not have a formal asylum procedure.
The address of UVTG is Winston Churchillweg in Willemstad, Curaçao. Their phone numbers are +5999 8666 692 or +5999 8666 693.
All websites linked in this article are in English, Dutch, Papiamento or Spanish. Use Google Translate or any other translation app if you need.
Curaçao does not have a formal asylum procedure. However, you can apply for protection under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The Curaçao Police Force Aliens Border Control and Supervision Unit (UVTG) is in charge of receiving the application for protection under Article 3. This is the department you should contact to apply.
To apply for protection, you want to go in person to the UVTG and fill out an application or contact them for any questions or information. As shown above, their address is on Winston Churchill Road in Willemstad, and their telephone numbers are +5999 8666 692 or +5999 8666 693.
Where to seek help in Curaçao
Defensa de Los Derechos Humanos Curazao (Human Rights Defense Curacao or HRDC) is a local non-government organization (NGO). HRDC offers technical support or referrals to other local partners for people seeking protection against violations of human rights.
For more information or legal assistance on requesting protection, you can contact them through their phone number: +5999 788 0126, +5999567 6707, or email info@humanrightdefense.org.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency for Aruba and Curazao, works with government agencies, NGOs, and civil society to promote and protect the rights of refugees.
Its local address is at Dabaruidastraat 11, Ponton in Aruba.
To seek information or guidance, you can contact UNHCR through the hotline or by email.
They have a Hotline +297 732 0006, that is open on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am to 12 noon. You can contact UNHCR by WhatsApp as well.
Their email is aruor@unhcr.org.
They have a Facebook page.
Refugees in Curaçao
No official refugees or asylum seekers reside in Curacao, according to UNHCR data as of mid-2022. But 17,000 Venezuelans in need of international protection live in Curacao. They live within host communities of around 5000 people.
According to Amnesty International, Venezuelans are detained and deported when they arrive in Curaçao. Foreigners have been unable to apply for international protection in Curaçao since July 2017.
Access to information and legal support for persons seeking protection is not yet assured. Curaçao continues to detain individuals and children in immigration detention without any court oversight. The inhumane conditions in which they are confined, such as being imprisoned in a cell for the majority of the day and a lack of hygiene supplies and recreational activities, continue to prevent people from commencing or completing the Protection Procedure.
The above cover image was taken somewhere in Willemstad, Curaçao. Photo by Lakeisha Bennett on Unsplash
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