On this page, you will find:
To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Ecuador LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Ecuador country of information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our Ecuador COI page.
Refugee protection
Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Ecuador.
The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Ecuador is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.
Since 1995 Ecuador has been a party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and to its 1967 Protocol since 1969. Furthermore, Ecuador accepted the UN Statelessness 1961 Convention in 2012 and ratified the 1954 Convention in 1970.
In 2017, Ecuador passed the Human Mobility Law, which regularizes the situation of people on the move – including refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons and victims of trafficking.
The law also establishes important principles, such as equal treatment before the law, not returning people to countries where their life or basic rights could be threatened (“refoulement”) and the non-criminalization of irregular migration.
The law takes into consideration the specific situation of children in need of international protection, protects stateless persons and proposes measures to prevent statelessness.
Legal aid organisations
Email: asorec@hotmail.com
Tel: +593 09 81 19 280
Refugee association that offers help and information to Colombians applying for refugee status or those who have been denied refugee status.
Address: Av. América 1830 y Mercadillo, Edificio Radio Católica, Quito
Assists with orientation of recent arrivals and refers them to organisations providing social and legal aid, providing basic humanitarian assistance.
Website
Address: Calle Eustorgio Salgado N 19-83 y Av. Universitaria, Quito
Email: administracion@sjr.org.ec comunicacion@sjr.org.ec
Tel: +593 09 87 92 566 (Pablo)
Contacts: Pablo Araujo
Medical access, legal services, education, psychological help, and emergency services
Website
Address: Avenida de la República E 4 – 87 e Inglaterra, Quito
Email: nrc@nrc.org.ec
Contact: Karin Eder
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.
Organisations providing other support to refugees
Website
Address: Av 6 de Diciembre and Julio Moreno, Quito
Tel: +593-2-2464802 / 086948540
Fax: +593-9-984180
Email: algraco2001@yahoo.com
Contact: Alberto Grajales
Refugee association for Colombian-run businesses, including a magazine to promote legal and social rights of refugees and migrants in Ecuador.
Website
Address: Calle Ultimas Noticias No. 39-127, Quito
Tel: +593 22 24 15 32
Basic humanitarian assistance and community development.
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Address: Antonio Elizalde E4-31 y Avenida Gran Colombia, Quito
Tel: +593 22 58 24 82 or +593 29 56 004
Fax: +593 22 57 04 24
Email: presidencia@cruzroja.org.ec
Basic humanitarian assistance.
Website
Address: Av. De la Prensa N5497 y Jorge Piedra, Quito
Email: comunicacion@dpe.gob.ec
Sponsors and protects refugees who feel like their rights have been violated.
Website
Facebook
Address: Pasaje Málaga N24-673 entre Coruña y Valladolid, Quito
Contact page
Tel: +593 22 23 07 66 or 29 00 28 7/ (011) 48 55 11 67
Contact person: Maria Rosa Cajas
FAS, a partner of UNHCR, is an NGO whose objective is to contribute to sustainable development in Ecuador, fostering the application of science and technology, with the aim of promoting an equitable use of natural resources, improvement in the quality of life of its inhabitants and the cultural development of Ecuadorian peoples. Provides training to refugees, development of entrepreneurial skills etc.
Website
Address: Av. 6 de Diciemebre y Lizardo García N24-253
Email: coordinacion@fequidadecuador.org
Offers psychological care services, sexual health, access to HIV tests, access to information on migrant rights and the regularization process, and has an LGBTI+ community center in Pichincha.
The Foundation is working on its actions like Promoting networking among civil society organizations committed to the promotion of human rights and non-violence, participate in academic and cultural research and/or consultancies; carry out studies, searches or working groups, among others, and other non-profit, social action and human development activities.
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Address: Calle Inglaterra N29-25 y Acuña, Quito
Tel: +593 2 3238688
Email: slustgarten@hias.org.ec
Contact: Sabrina Lustgarten
HIAS provide humanitarian assistance, psychological help, and integration/self-sufficiency programmes. The Centre for Information and Orientation (CINOR) provides information for refugees and asylum seekers on their legal rights and available social services, including micro-credit and job opportunities.
Website
Address: Calle Mera 0359 entre Boliva y Rocafuerte, “Multicentro Mera” tercer piso, oficina 19, Ambato, Ecuador
Email: info@psambato.org
Tel: +593 2421842 / 2827795
The Comité Pro Refugiados also runs (in partnership with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and the Diocese of Ambato) the Pastoral Social programme, which has a separate office. The programme works to implement primary healthcare and micro-credit schemes to contribute to the improvement of the conditions of life of families of urban and rural communities, promoting fairness and equality.
Website
Address: Quito, Imbayas 52-58 y avenida la flora
Tel: +593 02 3302772
A Catholic organization with a mission to promote and defend human mobility. They provide various services to migrant populations in Ecuador through their shelters. They have five locations across Ecuador, including two along the border with Colombia.
Ecuador LGBTQI+ Resources
Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Ecuador.
Ecuador COI
Find Ecuador 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