OPTIONS FOR BIRTH REGISTRATION FOR REFUGEES BORN OUTSIDE COUNTRY OF ASYLUM It is the responsibility of the State where the child was born to register the birth and issue the birth certificate. Where refugee children were born in their country of origin or in a country of transit and were unable to register the birth, or where the birth was registered but it is not possible to get a copy of the birth certificate, procedures for obtaining alternative forms of birth certification for refugees should be in place and implemented by the authorities of the country of asylum, in line with Article 25(2) governing administrative assistance for refugees in the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Options include: • In some cases, where the child was not born in country of asylum, national authorities responsible for refugee status determination (national asylum determining authority) may, upon request, issue a birth certification to a person granted refugee status, based on the credibility given to their asylum claim in line with the refugee right to administrative assistance. • National civil registration authorities or relevant authorities (including courts, where applicable) may issue birth certificates or equivalent for refugee children born in their country of origin or elsewhere without a birth certificate in line with national law, policy and administrative framework available. • In some case and without a birth certificate, children’s legal identity may also be documented in other forms of identity credentials, such as national ID cards issued to refugees. Whichever option is adopted, the document issued in the country of asylum should contain the same information as would normally be included in a birth certificate. Note: In some cases, a consulate of the country of origin may be able to provide certain forms of identity documentation for refugees—such as a birth certificate or another identity document— where the person’s birth was registered in the country of origin. However, this should only be pursued where it would not place the refugee—whether a child or an adult—the refugee’s parents, or others (e.g. family members remaining in the country of origin) at risk, including the risk of persecution or other serious harm. Link between UNHCR registration and birth registration In addition to the promotion of universal birth registration, UNHCR in certain operational context, supports asylum-seekers’ and refugees’ access to asylum registration, and the provision of asylum-seeker or refugee documents (e.g. proof of registration). Registration of asylumseekers and refugees is the responsibility of States, but in some countries, UNHCR assists through direct registration activities. When UNHCR undertakes registration for asylum-seekers and Birth registration of forcibly displaced and stateless persons refugees in a specific country, UNHCR should add newborn children to UNHCR registration groups, and document whether their births have been registered by national civil registration authorities, including if they have received birth certificates. a. Where a child’s birth has been registered by the national civil registration authorities, ensure consistency with biodata and, when possible, include a copy of the birth certificate in the UNHCR registration and identity management system. b. Where a child’s birth has not been registered, provide information on the national birth registration process, with the support of 17