On this page, you will find:
To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Benin LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Benin country of origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our Benin COI page.
Refugee protection
Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Benin.
The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Benin is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.
Benin was party to the 1951 Convention, without reservation, its 1967 Protocol, and the African Refugee Convention. Benin’s 1990 Constitution provided that treaties were superior in authority to statutes and that foreigners had the same rights and liberties as citizens under conditions determined by law. As Benin was a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), it did not require nationals from other ECOWAS member states to have visas to enter. Nationals of member states of ECOWAS, such as Togo, were eligible for residence permits whether they were refugees or not. The annual fee for an ECOWAS residence permit was about $40.
Benin currently recognises refugee status through its legislation Ordonnance No. 75-41 of 1975. People with refugee status have the right of movement and receive the same treatment as native persons regarding access to education, scholarships, labour rights, and social benefits. Regarding employment, beneficiaries of refugee status are similar to the foreign population whose countries have a more favourable Convention of Establishment concerning employment. Likewise, beneficiaries of refugee status may only be expelled from Benin for reasons of national security, if they are engaged in activities contrary to public order, or if they are sentenced to deprivation of liberty for acts qualified as crimes or offences of particular gravity.
Benin’s commitment to refugee policy was highlighted on World Refugee Day in June 2022, when the Beninese government reaffirmed its commitment to the international community to respect the right to asylum and the principle of non-refoulement by continuing to grant asylum; as well as recognising that the pattern of forced displacement is changing due to the multiplication of conflicts that have a significant impact on regions and sub-regions.
Legal aid organisations
Address: B.P. 03-630, Cotonou
Tel: 229 33 21 93
Email: ldhbenin@yahoo.fr
Ligue pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme au Bénin (LDH), established in 1990, focuses its work on the protection and promotion of human rights in Benin and advocates on behalf of victims of human rights abuses. LDH monitors the human rights situation in Benin, investigates alleged of human rights violations and provides legal assistance to the victims of these abuses. LDH’s activities relating to refugees have been largely with regard to Togolese refugees in Benin. This work has included monitoring camp conditions, providing medical and material assistance and providing legal assistance to ensure that that the rights of refugees are protected. LDH is currently working on developing a zone d’hébergement (waiting zone) for asylum seekers who have not yet been recognized as refugees. Many of these people spend a considerable amount of time in Bénin before being given any assistance.
In an effort to combat the social and political factors that threaten to make Bénin a hostile country to refugees, LDH has launched a campaign to combat xenophobia, focusing mainly on Togolese refugees. The campaign has included marches and concerts in support of Togolese refugees. Since the beginning of the campaign, the government of Bénin has softened its position toward refugees, and the repatriation of Togolese refugees has abated.
Website
Address: Lot 01 Patte d’oie, Cotonou, Benin
Tel: +229 21 30 2898
Email: benco@unhcr.org
The Multi-country Office (MCO) Senegal is based in Dakar. It is responsible for operations in Benin, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Togo, The Gambia, Sierra-Leone, Cabo Verde, and Senegal. There are National UNHCR Offices in Togo, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau.
As of September 2021, the MCO countries host a total of 46,891 refugees and asylum seekers, most of whom are in protracted situations.
The overall situation in the MCO countries is one of relative political stability and economic security. Nonetheless, a potential spillover of terrorist operations in Burkina Faso and Niger bordering Benin and Togo has been raising concerns of potential population flows due to insecurity.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the lockdown of economies and the closure of borders had social, economic, and political implications on the livelihoods of refugees and host communities. It undermined the communities’ resilience and hindered access to solutions for protracted refugee caseloads. Integration of refugee caseloads has already taken place for years in most contexts, with solutions strategies and roadmaps discussed, agreed upon and partially implemented.
UNHCR’s proposal, jointly with Governments, of clear legal solutions for naturalization and residence permits for long-staying refugees, is expected to help stabilize PoCs status in the region.
Organisations providing other support to refugees
Website
Address: 29, rue Djassin P.O. Box 1 Porto Novo Benin
Tel: +229 21 28 86
Email: crbenin@leland.bj
Website
Address: International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office for Central and West Africa BP 16 838 Dakar-Fann Senegal
Tel: +221.3 386 96 20 0
Fax: +221.3 386 96 23 3
Mobile: +221 7 763 86 04 7
Email: RODakar@iom.int
IOM programmes in Benin are currently oriented more towards Migration and Development and Labour Migration activities.
In September 2005, at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Benin, IOM funded the project “Mobilization of Qualified Benin Diaspora and Identification of Benin’s Needs in Terms of Scientific and Technical Expertise”. This project is, first, an initiative to identify needs for scientific and technical expertise and secondly, a framework for mobilizing Beninese migrant workers able to fulfill these needs for the development of the country.
Furthermore, a Ministerial Conference of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on the transfer of migrants’ funds (Remittances) was held in Cotonou, Benin in February 2006. It was jointly organized by the Government of the Republic of Benin, IOM and the Office of the High Representative of the United Nations Least Developed Countries, Developing Countries Landlocked and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS) with financial support from the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation Programme for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Norway, Ireland and The World Bank.
Benin LGBTQI+ Resources
Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Benin.
Benin COI
Find Benin Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents.
We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.
Last updated May 2023