On this page, you will find:
To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Colombia LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Colombia country of information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our Colombia COI page.
Refugee protection
Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Colombia.
The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Colombia is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.
Colombia ratified the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees on 10 October 1961 and acceded to the 1967 Protocol on 4 March 1980.
In its own 1995 Refugee Act, Colombia incorporated the Cartagena Declaration on Protection of Refugees which goes beyond the 1951 Convention by extending refugee status to persons fleeing generalized violence, foreign aggression, internal conflicts, massive violation of human rights or any other circumstance disturbing public order. In 1998, the government also enacted Law No. 387, aimed at preventing forced displacement as well as protecting and helping people displaced by the violence.
According to Colombian authorities, out of Colombia’s 48.2 million population, more than 8.2 million people are IDPs. Humanitarian crises continue in large parts of Colombian territory due to multiple factors, including increasingly complex and unpredictable conflict and armed violence dynamics, the presence and territorial control of non-state armed groups in large areas of the country, natural disasters and mixed migration flows that generate or exacerbate humanitarian needs in various communities, especially those located in areas most affected by the conflict, with little to no state presence.
Legal aid organisations
‘Programa de Atención Jurídica Integral a la Población Víctima de Desplazamiento Forzado del Consultorio Jurídico “Guillermo Peña Alzate” Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Políticas, Universidad de Antioquia.’
Website
Address: Edificio Antigua Escuela de Derecho, Calle 49 Nº 42A-39 (Ayacucho con Girardot), oficina 11
Tel: (0057) 21 99 861 or (0057) 21 99 869
Email: dforzado@mitra.udea.edu.co or usuariosconsultorio@udea.edu.co or jagudelof@gmail.com or jaime.agudelo@udea.edu.co
Contact person: Jaime Alberto Agudelo Figueroa, Coordinator
Opening times: Monday to Friday 08:00-16:00
This programme was developed as an answer to the need witnessed by the Faculty of Law and Political Science to assist, accompany and provide legal advice to the population victim of forced displacement, in order to obtain the demand of their fundamental and human rights.
Este programa surgió como respuesta a la necesidad de asesoría, acompañamiento y atención jurídica integral a la población víctima de desplazamiento forzado para la exigibilidad de sus derechos humanos y fundamentales, evidenciada por la Facultad de Derecho y Ciencia Políticas.
Website
Tel:(571) 7559455
Email: probono@probono.org.co
Fundación ProBono aims to establish access to justice for those people or organizations that do not have economic resources to access and pay for quality legal services. This objective is accomplished through a network of members from firms, corporate legal groups, and independent lawyers that take cases in a voluntary, free manner.
Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas (Faculty of Law), Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
Website
Address: Cra. 7 No. 40-62 Bogotá, Colombia
Tel: 601 320 8320 Ext. 2379 – 2428 or ext. 5236 -5407
Email: consultoriojuridico@javeriana.edu.co
The Faculty of Law of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia has a legal clinic for asylum seekers, together with UNHCR and the Catholic Church. Most cases are Cubans who come through Venezuela. The legal clinic has eight years of practice representing Cuban asylum seekers, among others from diverse nationalities, before the Colombian refugee authority.
Organisations providing other support to refugees
Address: Calle 7 No. 6-54, Bogota, DC.
Tel: (+57) (60) (1) 596 0800 /01/02 / Toll-Free in Bogotá 5954410 / National Toll-Free: 018000951100
Fax: 284 4120
Contact: Through their internet contact form – click here. Please note that a National ID or Alien ID number is required to complete the contact form.
Opening Hours: 8:30-12:30 and 14:00-17:45
AIMS: it aims at coordinating, managing and executing social action programmes, policies and projects directed to poor and vulnerable people and development projects, by coordinating and promoting national and international, technical and financial, cooperation to reach economic and social development in Colombia, mainly Colombians affected by violence and in conditions of vulnerability
It is a public agency to serve the Latin American community. Among its programmes, there are those that provide humanitarian assistance to people displaced by violence including refugees.
AFRODES’ mission is to establish itself as an organization that provides guidance, support, accompaniment, advice, and training and dialogue in defense of the rights and cultural identity of the Afro-Colombian population in a situation of displacement; thus seeking more dignified life alternatives for its members; by raising awareness of Colombian society, in the face of the displacement of black communities; and proposing to the state policies for the management and solution of this problem.
Website
Address: Calle 6N # 5-14 Barrio Colpet, Norte de Santander
Tel: 607 5710379
Email: corprodinco@gmail.com
Corprodinco works to improve the quality of life of individuals, families and communities, through the management of alliances, knowledge and social innovation.
Website
Address: Cra 16 #93a -16 OFI 20 Bogotá
Tel: 031 7431587
Email: socioscolombia@ayudaenaccion.org
Ayuda en Acción works on 3 continents accompanying children and youth to give them a dignified present and a future with opportunities.
Website
Address: Carrera 14 N° 93B-46, Bogotá
Tel: +57 1 6397777
Email: iombogota@iom.int
Website
Address: Riohacha la Guajira, Carrera 50 #14E-53
Email: info@funbridnor.org
Contact: Jairo Luis Ibarra Carmona
Email: ibarra@funbridnor.org
Tel: 3015638245
Fundación Brisas del Norte is an organization that aims for the protection of vulnerable communities inside the Colombian territory.
Address: Calle 2 #3-55, Motilones, Cúcuta en la Casa Frontera Morada
Tel: (+57) 300 6377645
Email: alans.peralta@gmail.com
Support with donations to walkers of the Cúcuta – Bucaramanga route
Website
Address: Carrera 44 a No 22 – 11
Tel: (+57) 310 206 07 84
Email: info@vidanuevaparacolombia.org
Vida Nueva Foundation for Colombia is a non-profit entity, legally constituted, that has worked for several years in the national territory, contributing to social and spiritual well-being, contributing to the peace of our country, providing solutions to problems that affect our society through projects and brigades aimed at: unprotected children, female head of household, domestic violence, and adults in situations of extreme poverty in marginalized sectors and places.
Website
Address: Getsemaní, Calle Del Espíritu Santo Nº 29 – 158, Cartagena de Indias
Tel: (+57) 60 5 660 0125 / 2302
Fax: (+57) 5 660 2302
Email: patricia.guerrero@ligademujeres.org or info@ligademujeres.org or servicioalciudadano@unidadvictimas.gov.co
Contact person: Patricia Guerrero
Bogotá
Address:Carrera 85D No. 46A – 65, Complejo logístico San Cayetano.
Tel: (+57) 60 1 4261111
Address: Calle 49 No 50-21 piso 14, Edificio del Café.
The LMD strives for recognition of refugee status for women and communities that have been forcibly displaced from the border areas. They work to ensure justice, reparation and effective compensation, secure return to those displaced women deciding to do so, as well as resettlement of displaced women when relocated. Advocate for the Colombian state’s fulfilment of its human rights obligations, with an emphasis on the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of displaced women and recipient populations, their children and the elderly. Training for women in their fundamental rights (Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Sexual and Reproductive Rights, etc..) and International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law, with the objective of empowering and increasing knowledge to demand accountability in their own communities.
Website
Address:CL 47A 9-65 Camilo Daza, Cúcuta
Tel: (+ 57) 7 573 5533
Email: scalabrinicucuta@gmail.com
Website
Address: Carrera 9 Nº 81A – 26, Piso 9, Bogotá
Tel: (+57) 60 + 1 + 31 71 481 or +57 60+1+5141091
Fax: (+57) 1 31 71 504
Email: nrc@nrc.org.co or co.neserviciosicla@nrc.no or co.asesoriaiclavenezuela@nrc.no
The NRC provides legal assistance (legal aid, advocacy) for victims of forced displacement, in particular with regard to housing, land and property rights, and for victims of sexual and gender-based violence. They provide orientation information, counselling and education programmes for displaced children and adolescents, and also promote and advocate for changes in policy to ensure the protection of displaced and indigenous populations. NRC provides legal assistance, usually through individual casework, but it may also entail class action. NRC pursues legal action through all relevant local, national and international legal systems and mechanisms, including customary law, conflict resolution and mediation mechanisms and any other prevalent systems of law – in addition to statutory law and the courts. NRC may provide training in legal issues to target groups and key local actors – to establish a platform of understanding of rights and applicable law, and subsequent legal approaches to key issues.
Website
Contact Person: John J Montoya R, SJ (National Director)
Email: director.colombia@gmail.com or col.comunicaciones@jrs.net
Contact person: Alex Linares, Director
Email: col.comunicaciones@jrs.net
BARRANCABERMEJA
Address: Cra 15 # 50-30 Barrio Colombia
Tel: +(57) 60 7 611 49 41 or 09 76 22 27 14
Fax: 76 22 85 24
BOGOTÁ
Address: Cra 25 # 39-79 Barrio La Soledad Bogotá
Tel: +(57) 60 1 368 14 66
Fax: 12 69 92 29
BUENAVENTURA
Address: Cra 16 # 3-26 Barrio El Firme
Tel: +(57) 60 2 240 19 60
CÚCUTA
Address: Avenida 1 No. 27-131 Barrio San Rafael – Curia Diocesana
Tel: +(57) 60 7 572 73 93, ext.117
SAN PABLO
Address: Cra 7 # 17-35 Parroquia San Pablo
Tel: +(57) 60 7 623 60 21
SOACHA
Address: Soacha: Calle 10 # 8-88
Tel: +(57) 60 1 775 15 23
Servico Jesuita a Refugiados (JRS Colombia) offers services in Magdalena, Valle del Cauca, Soacha, and Cucuta. In these four regions, SJR works to ensure the rights of those displaced, promoting their rights through educative, advocacy, and psychosocial projects, and the ability to provide legal aid.
Website
Address: Calle 21 No.4-82 B/La Yesquita, Quibdo, Colombia
Tel: +57 4 6715146
Email: colbe@unhcr.org
Colombia LGBTQI+ Resources
Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Colombia.
Colombia COI
Find Colombia 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