Registration interviews are a core protection activity, in which personal data is recorded and specific needs are identified and referred for assessment and response. It is also a key identity management process, and the principal means through which UNHCR is able to know its populations of concern. A quality registration interview accurately and fully records personal data, which forms the basis for the tracking of biographical and other identity-related changes through continuous registration, yielding benefits for both individual refugees and actors involved in a humanitarian response. Individual photographs and biometric data are collected, ensuring that identities registered in UNHCR’s system are globally unique and cannot be lost, registered multiple times or subject to fraud. Further individuals are assigned a unique identifying number and issued with secure documentation.
The regular updating, verifying and recording of new data elements over time strengthens identity data and increases confidence in refugee identity records in the eyes of governments and private sector entities. This, in turn, facilitates the ability of refugees to credibly demonstrate their identity when accessing rights, services and opportunities including banking.
Registration interviews vary in structure and content depending on the objectives of the interview, the operational context and the specific circumstances of the individual being registered. Normally, registration interviews comprise the following key elements: