From Registration to Resettlement: How the Digital Gateway is empowering refugees in Indonesia

More than half of Indonesia’s refugee population live in cities far from the capital Jakarta, where UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency’s office is located.

For many of them this has meant making long and expensive journeys to update or file new documents with UNHCR, or to inquire about the status of their resettlement cases. Tasks that can even be challenging for those living in the sprawling city of Jakarta.

To help refugees, UNHCR in partnership with the Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative, developed a digital solution to the problem. In May, the Digital Gateway - an online, multi-lingual self-service portal - was launched that allows refugees and asylum-seekers in Indonesia to create accounts and remotely access, record and update personal information with UNHCR.

For refugee families, the ability to quickly request registration for newborn babies through the portal is essential. This provides families with access to legal support from UNHCR and birth certificate referrals to the national Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system.

Birth certificates provide official proof of identity and ensure that refugee newborns are legally recognized and can receive the protection and rights afforded to them under international law – an important aspect in preventing statelessness. Birth certificates are also often required to access essential services such as healthcare and education. Without them, families with newborns may have difficulty obtaining vaccinations, medical care or enrolling in school.

Jawad*, a refugee from Afghanistan, said he is grateful for the birth certificate he recently obtained for his son. Jawad arrived in Indonesia with his wife in 2017, the same year their son was born. “Back then, I didn’t know that it was possible to register our newborn son because of our status as refugees,” Jawad said.

Nearly seven years later in August 2024, he registered his son’s birth at the Civil Registry office, with referral and legal services support from UNHCR.

“The process was remarkably smooth, and I am highly satisfied with UNHCR’s support,” noted Jawad. “Immediately after I contacted UNHCR, a confirmation letter was provided for me to take to the Civil Registry office. I only needed to present our UNHCR ID card and was told to return in two weeks to pick up the certificate.”

For Jawad, obtaining his son’s birth certificate means more than just having documentation. “We love Indonesia: the people’s kindness and the peace we’ve found in this county. Although we may end up in a different country, for now it gives us a sense of hopefulness. We feel happy and honored to have my son’s birth registered here,” he said.

The self-service portal is part of UNHCR’s ‘Digital Gateway’ project to revolutionize engagement with forcibly displaced and stateless people by giving them greater control over personal data, empowering them with enhanced access to information and services and improving communication.

Bloomberg Philanthropies support for the Digital Gateway in Indonesia also enabled UNHCR to raise awareness among refugees about the importance of registering newborns and increase its advocacy work with Indonesia’s Civil Registry office and civil society.

Abdullah*, a refugee from Afghanistan who lives in Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara Province in far eastern Indonesia, said his experience with the self-service portal was helpful. “It was easy to create an account and because it is a multi-language portal, it is easy to change the language to Farsi, making it more useful for my fellow refugees who don’t speak English.”  

Abdullah said he and other refugees were benefitting from better digital connectivity with UNHCR because they can now request appointments online and upload important documents that previously had to be sent by mail or delivered physically, thus saving time, money and preventing delays when updating data in UNHCR’s systems.  

“It is important for refugees and asylum-seekers to seamlessly access necessary information from where they are, which may be in remote areas far from the office,” said Hyun Young Chae, UNHCR Indonesia Protection Officer. “In many ways, this online self-service portal gives refugees and asylum-seekers access to vital protection and assistance, including requesting registration for their cases and newborn children.”

A refugee navigates the Digital Gateway self-service portal in Indonesia.

© UNHCR Indonesia

UNHCR staff visited more than 2,000 refugees in cities from Sumatra to Sulawesi to train them in creating self-service accounts and verifying and updating their data. This helped improve digital literacy and digital safety awareness among refugees who may have limited online experience and skills. A survey found that more than three quarters of refugees using the new platform found it useful and easy to create an account, and nearly all reported they would use it again.

The impact on refugee families is already clear. The number of birth certificates issued for refugees increased by 40% in the four months since the project began.

UNHCR will visit more cities hosting refugees later this year and new features—like assistance status and support services—will be added to the self-service portal soon.

*Names have been changed for protection reasons.

Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative generously supports UNHCR’s work in Indonesia and Bangladesh to promote self- and civil registration among refugees, displaced individuals and stateless people. The initiative aims to strengthen recording of births and deaths to inform public health policy. This includes the Digital Gateway self-service portal in Indonesia as well as support for tools and household visits by community health workers to streamline the birth and notification process for refugees hosted in Bangladesh.