{
2(i) DOCUMENTATION
LINE TO TAKE
CONFIDENTIAL
Persons granted refugee status under the terms of the 1951 Convention
are automatically issued with United Kingdom Travel Documents. Identity
Documents are issued only for specific journeys and only if no national
documentation is available. Refugee letters are issued to all those
who are so recognised by the Home Office. We are liaising with UNHCR
in the field of producing a refugee travel document which has anti-
forgery safeguards built in.
BACKGROUND
Refugees in the United Kingdom have a guarantee of settlement (usually
after 4 years) and are issued with a Travel Document under Article 28
of the Convention to enable them to travel to countries other than the
country in which they fear persecution. Documents are issued to
coincide with the leave of the refugee ie limited leave for a specific
period or settlement. Travel Documents are only issued to those with
exceptional leave in exceptional circumstances, and only after they have
been able to demonstrate that their own authorities have refused to
issue them with national documentation. These are again restricted to
the leave obtained.
Documents of identity are issued to those who have no national passport,
and are unable to obtain one, for the purpose of a specific journey.
The stock letters issued to recognised refugees, which were formulated
in 1978 in accordance with paragraph (e)(v) of Recommendation No 8
(XXVIII) are presently being revised in consultation with UNHCR and the
interested refugee agencies.
Some Western states have observed that there is a traffic in forged
refugee travel documents. UNHCR's officials have undertaken to provide
specimens and specifications of documents which they produce for certain
states. It is possible that the United Kingdom might incorporate new
safeguards in a reprinting of the document if these prove more effective
than our own.
CONFIDENTIAL