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FAQs
Apply For Asylum
The staff at UNHCR is working diligently to adhere to global best practices and reduce the
waiting period between registration and the final RSD decision. Each case is individually
assessed and therefore the duration of the process can vary.
If UNHCR rejects your application for asylum, you have the right to appeal (to ask the UNHCR
to reconsider your case). The deadline to appeal will be stated in the written decision given to
you. If your appeal is rejected again or you choose not to appeal, regular Trinidad and Tobago
immigration procedures will apply and you may be returned to your home country.
During the asylum procedure you must stay in Trinidad and Tobago. If you leave at any time, it
may be considered abandonment of your asylum claim. Please note that recognition of your
refugee status is valid in Trinidad & Tobago, that is, this status may not necessarily be recognised
in another country should you choose to voluntarily depart. If you choose to leave Trinidad it is
your responsibility to research that country’s asylum policies and procedures. Please notify
UNHCR of your intention to abandon your claim if you choose to leave Trinidad and Tobago.
Food Assistance
Food assistance is not guaranteed once an application has been submitted. If you are approved, you will receive a message to inform you of your approval.
Education For Children
Visit www.equal-place.com to enroll your child to Equal-Place.
Course content will be developed with your child’s needs in mind.
No. Equal Place is free.
No. Your child does not need to be registered with UNHCR nor the government.
Yes. If you cannot receive the specific medical attention within Trinidad & Tobago, you will need to communicate and prove this to LWC and UNHCR. For ongoing medical treatment and attention that cannot be obtained in country, you may be entitled to resettlement.
As of this moment, all foreign-born asylum seekers and refugees cannot attend public schools
because of a lack of refugee legislation as well as local immigration regulations that require
foreign nationals to have a student permit in order to have access to education in Trinidad and
Tobago. However, steps are being taken by Living Water Community and its partners to advocate
for access to education to all children.
Children's Safety and Wellbeing
Child abuse is the physical, mental or sexual mistreatment of anyone under the age of 18.
ChildLine also offers counselling sessions both in Spanish and English.
All calls are confidential.
All these services are free of charge.
You can call 996 or 800-2014 to report all instances of child negligent or child abuse. You can
also 999 to make a report to the police.
Adult Education
If you are detained and are a registered asylum-seeker or refugee, present your UNHCR ID card
to authorities. You will have the right to an attorney.
You may be required to pay a refundable bond either prior to release or subsequent to release on a
Order of Supervision from the Enforcement Unit of Immigration. Subsequent to being released
you will be notified that you are required to attend a Special Inquiry Hearing.. This is a standard
procedure that involves your presence before a Special Inquiry Officer at a hearing to determine
whether you will be deported.
Retention of your passport is part of an important monitoring mechanism for Immigration and
provides an alternative to detention. While we acknowledge the distress this may cause, you must
abide by this. If you are being deported or choose to leave on your own your passport will be
returned once proof of a return ticket is submitted.
If you are a victim of a crime here in Trinidad & Tobago, as an asylum seeker or refugee, you have the right to access justice. However it is the government’s responsibility to guarantee this right. LWC and UNHCR cannot guarantee this though we advocate on your behalf and you may risk being detained. You can proceed to the Police Station nearest to where the crime occurred to make a report. Also walk with your Asylum Seeker Certificate and/or Order of Supervision when making the report to reduce the risk of detention. If your passport was stolen you would have to fill out a lost passport form and thereafter take it to Immigration.
If you are the victim of threats or any type of abuse, you may walk into the Police Station and request a protection order to be taken out against the perpetrator. This would result in you and the perpetrator being summoned before a magistrate. For minor instances or threats, the police can also go to the perpetrator’s home and give a warning.
Please also note that ONLY Immigration can issue stamps on your passports for any extensions to validate your stay in the country. If any person outside of Immigration tries to solicit you to pay for these stamps, please report to LWC immediately or to your nearest police station.
If you are a victim of a criminal offence, you can visit a police station near your area. Regardless
of your legal status you can make a report.Here is a list of police stations in Trinidad and Tobago
along with their contact details http://www.ttps.gov.tt/Contact/List-of-Police-Stations. If you are
registered as an asylum-seeker or with the government, please take your UNHCR ID or your
Minister's Permit with you when making the report. While the TTPS is required to provide a
translator it helps if you can be accompanied by someone who speaks english for preliminary
discussions as arrangements have to be made for a translator.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence includes physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or financial abuse
committed by a person against a spouse, child or any other person who is a member of the
household or dependant.
You can go to a police station near where you live. You can visit
http://www.ttps.gov.tt/Contact/List-of-Police-Stations for a list of police stations. You also can
contact the following agencies:
– the GBV Unit at 999,
– – The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-7283.
Once you have made a report, you can also request a protection order against your perpetrator. It
will result in you and the perpetrator having to appear before a magistrate or master. To request a
Protection Order you can contact the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago’s Domestic Violence
Hotline by calling 866-DVCT(3828) or by sending an email to
domesticviolence.response@ttlawcourts.org. The email should contain details of the type of
violence that you are experiencing and your contact information.
You can also visit the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority of Trinidad and Tobago if you require
legal representation For more information visit https://laaa.org.tt/.
● Please note that if you have a matter in Court an interpreter will be provided at no cost by
the Court.
Rape Crisis Society
Rape Crisis Society offers free and confidential counseling sessions in both English and Spanish.
Counselling sessions are for survivors of trauma, sexual and domestic violence and those dealing
with stress or depression. The services are for women, men, boys and girls.
You can contact Rape Crisis Society at 627-7273
ChildLine
ChildLine is a free confidential 24/7 helpline and listening service for children and young people.
To contact ChildLine, please dial 131 or 800-4321.
Families in Action
Families in Action, through a partnership with USAID and Democracy International, offers
psychosocial support through a hotline. You can call 628-8422 or whatsapp call/message 365-
4858 to access their services. While initially Families in Action was established to address
alcohol and drug abuse in Trinidad and Tobago, the organisation also provides counselling and
interventions on a variety of issues. You can visit their website https://www.familiesinaction.net/
for more information.
Groots Trinidad and Tobago
Groots Trinidad and Tobago, is an NGO that offers psychosocial support and counselling on a
variety of issues such as GBV survivors, transitional housing and on mental health issues. They
are focused on rural grassroots women empowerment. If you are in need of their services, they
can be contacted at 220-5986 or dlinktt.com for more information. To call their hotline, you can
dial 230-2307 or 384-4722.
*Services currently not offered in Spanish.
Yes. All psychosocial services are free.
Yes. Counselling services are also available in Spanish.
Health
You can only access free health care in four instances: emergency cases, maternity care,
immunization and the treatment of communicable diseases.
Primary health care is free of charge.
You can visit any health facility in Trinidad and Tobago if you are in need of medical attention.
For a comprehensive of health centres and hospitals in Trinidad and Tobago, please visit
http://www.health.gov.tt/moh-healthfacilities/
Yes. Please visit a health centre near your area.
Most health workers do not speak Spanish. However, there are some hospitals that have Spanish-
speaking nurses and doctors such as Mt. Hope General Hospital and Port of Spain General
Hospital.
Yes. All FPATT services are free.
You can visit a health centre or hospital near where you live or you can visit FPATT at their
locations.