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Tonga

UNHCR’s Representation in Canberra, Australia, promotes refugee rights in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Six of these Pacific States are parties to the 1951 Refugee Convention. The Pacific Island countries host more than 11,800 persons of concern, with the majority living in PNG and Fiji.

UNHCR supports Pacific Island countries through capacity building, technical advice on protection and solutions, and engages in refugee status determination under mandate or through joint procedures. Although the number of asylum seekers and refugees in the region is relatively small, the impact of any new arrivals is significant at both operational and policy levels due to other pressing priorities which constrain government resources to respond to asylum seeker, refugee and statelessness issues.

Additional information

For information about our work in Tonga:

Help

Are you a refugee or asylum-seeker in Tonga? Find information about your rights and available services on our HELP site.

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Visit the HELP site
Regional website

Visit the UNHCR regional website (UNHCR Regional Representation in Canberra) for more information on our work in the region and the latest local news and stories.

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Visit the regional website
Legislation and guidance

For legislation, case law and UNHCR policy relating to claims for international protection, visit Refworld.

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Visit Refworld

Office contact details

Tonga is covered by the following UNHCR office:

Street and postal address

14 Kendall Lane, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

Please note that an appointment must be set to visit the office.

Email

Phone

  • Protection inquiries (3 pm to 5 pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday): +61 262 819 100
  • Media and Public Information Inquiries: + 61 424 545 569
  • Donation Inquiries in Australia (Australia for UNHCR): 1300 361 288
  • Donation Inquiries in New Zealand (Aotearoa New Zealand for UNHCR): +64 941 47 883

Timezone

+10 GMT

Working hours

  • Monday: 8:45 - 17:00
  • Tuesday: 8:45 - 17:00
  • Wednesday: 8:45 - 17:00
  • Thursday: 8:45 - 17:00
  • Friday: 8:45 - 17:00