What is Refugee Status and Humanitarian Protection?
When people across the world are displaced by war, famine, and other disasters, they might find themselves coming to the UK in search of shelter. Here, theyre able to benefit from two distinct kinds of support: they might be granted refugee status, or humanitarian protection. These two things might seem synonymous on first glance, but the truth is that there is quite a bit of daylight running between them. If youre unsure of your status, then it might be worth getting in touch with a qualified immigration lawyer to guide you through the process. Lets look at some of the differences. The Differences  Among the more major difference between the two statuses is the type of travel document youll be granted, and the degree of difficulty in getting hold of it. Refugees are allowed to apply for a travel document known as a Convention travel document, which looks a little bit like a blue passport. This ensures that the refugee does not need to deal any longer with their home country, where they might be at risk. A beneficiary of Humanitarian Protection is not protected by the 1951 Refugee Convention, and thus theyll continue to use their passport from their home country, or a special black travel document known as a Certificate of Travel. This is a hard document to obtain, because the Home Office sets out stringent requirements for getting one. Moreover, it doesnt allow travel to very many countries. If youve been granted refugee status, then youll benefit from article 31 of the refugee convention, which is designed to ensure that refugees are not punished for gaining entry into a country illegally. This is part of UK law, and can be found mirrored in section 31 of the Asylum Act 1999. This means that refugees enjoy a protection under law that those seeking humanitarian protection do not. If the Home Office should seek to revoke a persons status as a refugee, then theyre required to tell the UNHCR, and give the High Commissioner for Refugees a chance to offer their views. This means a level of international supervision. If youre a refugee, or youre a beneficiary of humanitarian protection, then you can bring your partner into the country in the same way as a British native person can. But partners whove suffered from domestic violence arent able to make a claim to reside in the country. Its only relatively recently that the law has been amended in the case of partners of refugees, but no protection exists for partners of those with humanitarian protection.