When conflict, disaster, or persecution forces people across international borders, the journey is often chaotic, legally complex, and physically dangerous. Millions of people cross borders in crisis conditions every year — some with full documentation, many without. This guide explains what you need to know, what to expect, and how to protect yourself and your family.
⚠️ During active conflict, border crossings may be controlled by military forces, paramilitary groups, or unofficial checkpoints. Research conditions on your specific route before attempting to cross. Conditions change rapidly and specific information is often not available. Official UNHCR and embassy advice for your target country is the most reliable current guidance.
Documents You Need
Documents determine your rights, your processing time, and your options at a border.
Ideal documentation set (originals plus copies)
| Document | Purpose | Notes |
|---|
| Passport (valid) | Primary identity and nationality proof | Even expired passports are useful as identity documents |
| National identity card | Secondary ID; accepted at some borders | |
| Birth certificates (all family members) | Proof of family relationships | Critical for children travelling with one parent |
| Marriage certificate | Proof of family unit | |
| Medical records and prescriptions | Continuity of care; proof of medical needs | |
| Educational certificates | For eventual resettlement or work permits | |
| Professional qualifications | For work eligibility in receiving country | |
| Bank documents (account numbers, cards) | Financial access and proof of assets | |
| Photographs of all family members | Reunification if separated | |
| Evidence of persecution or displacement (if applicable) | Supports asylum claim | Photos, documents, police reports, messages |
If you have no documents
Lack of documents does not prevent asylum claims. Under international law (the 1951 Refugee Convention), states cannot refuse to hear an asylum claim solely because the applicant lacks identity documents. Border guards and immigration officers may question you more intensively, but "I have no documents" is not a reason to turn you away if you are claiming protection.
If you lose documents during flight: report the loss to UNHCR or the local authorities in the receiving country. They have systems for undocumented cases.
What to Expect at a Crisis Border
Crisis-condition border crossings look very different from normal international travel.
Physical conditions
- Queues lasting days. In mass displacement events (conflict, major disaster), borders become choke points. Queues of thousands of people, waiting in the open for 24–72 hours or more, are common.
- Military or police presence. Armed forces of both countries typically secure the border area. Do exactly what you are told.
- Humanitarian organisation presence. UNHCR, Red Cross/Red Crescent, IOM (International Organization for Migration), and NGOs typically set up at major crisis crossings within 24–48 hours. They provide water, food, medical assistance, and information.
- Temporary processing facilities. Tents or warehouses for processing large volumes. Conditions may be crowded and basic.
- Separated processing. Men and women, families and single adults may be processed in different queues.
What happens during processing
- Identity check: Documents inspected and recorded; photographs taken
- Registration: Name, nationality, family composition, destination intent recorded — this creates your official record in the country
- Brief security screening: May include questioning about background
- Health check: Particularly if infectious disease outbreaks are occurring
- Referral: Based on your profile, you are directed to appropriate services (family shelter, reception centre, etc.)
Declaring Asylum
If you are fleeing persecution, conflict, or serious harm, you may have the right to seek asylum.
When to declare asylum
Declare at the first opportunity — at the border or at the first official contact in the country. Do not wait. Delays in declaring asylum can complicate your claim.
What to say
In any language you can use: "I am requesting asylum" or "I am requesting protection." Border officers are required to refer you to the appropriate process.
The principle of non-refoulement
The most important protection in international refugee law: states may not forcibly return a person to a territory where they face serious risk of persecution, torture, or death. This principle is binding under international law on all countries that have ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol (the vast majority of countries).
If you are turned away at a border and face serious harm in returning, you can appeal to UNHCR. They cannot physically stop a deportation but can apply significant pressure and often do prevent forcible returns.
Your Rights Without Documents
International law provides protections regardless of documentation status:
- You cannot be criminalised for crossing a border without documents if you are seeking protection. Article 31 of the 1951 Refugee Convention prohibits penalties on refugees for irregular entry or presence when they come directly from a territory where they face persecution.
- You have the right to a fair hearing. States must give you the opportunity to present your case before any decision to return you is made.
- You have the right to an interpreter. If you do not speak the border officials' language, you are entitled to interpretation in asylum proceedings.
- You have the right to be free from detention without grounds. While states can detain asylum seekers in some circumstances, indefinite detention without review is a violation of international law.
- Children have additional protections. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provides special protections for unaccompanied and separated children.
UNHCR at Border Crossings
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the primary international organisation mandated to protect refugees and stateless persons.
What UNHCR does at borders:
- Monitors for refoulement (illegal returns)
- Registers individuals seeking protection
- Provides information about rights and processes
- Coordinates with NGOs for humanitarian assistance
- Advocates for individuals being unlawfully detained or returned
How to contact UNHCR:
- At major border crossings, UNHCR staff are typically present and identifiable by their blue vests and signage
- In receiving countries: find the nearest UNHCR office via unhcr.org
- UNHCR hotline numbers are country-specific — look for them on the UNHCR country page for your destination
Registration with UNHCR provides:
- A formal record of your presence and claim
- A UNHCR document that can provide some protection (though not equivalent to state asylum status)
- Access to UNHCR-coordinated services
- A reference point for family tracing if separated
Safe vs Unsafe Crossings
Not all border crossings are equal in safety.
Indicators of a safer official crossing:
- Presence of UN or international humanitarian agencies
- Organised processing by uniformed state officials
- Signage and information provision
- Separate areas for families, women, and vulnerable people
- Other civilians crossing in both directions
- No evidence of violence or armed non-state actors in control
Warning signs of an unsafe crossing:
- Crossing controlled by militia, insurgents, or non-state armed groups
- No official presence; individual soldiers demanding payment
- Reports of violence, robbery, or abuse at that crossing from others
- Complete absence of women and children (may indicate men are being detained)
- No humanitarian agencies present
Alternative crossing options:
- A slightly longer route to an official crossing with UN presence is almost always preferable to an unofficial or militia-controlled crossing
- Ask others who have recently crossed — the most current information comes from people who crossed in the last 24 hours
- Contact UNHCR or NGOs for advice on current conditions at specific crossings
Family Separation at Borders
Family separation is one of the most traumatic and practically dangerous outcomes of a border crossing in crisis conditions.
Preventing separation
- Keep children physically attached to an adult (held, in a carrier, or tethered by the hand) at all times in crowds
- Write your name, phone number, and destination on each child's body (inner forearm in permanent marker) and on a card in their clothing
- Photograph each family member together before entering the border area
- Designate a family meeting point at the crossing (e.g., "the UNHCR tent" or "the water distribution point")
- Give older children (8+) a verbal instruction: "If you are separated, stay where you are and tell the nearest adult in a uniform"
If separation occurs
- Immediately report the separation to UNHCR, Red Cross/Red Crescent, or border officials
- The Red Cross Family Tracing Service operates at major crisis crossings and can register missing family members
- Do not leave the border area until you have registered the separation with an official or humanitarian body
- Children who arrive unaccompanied are referred to child protection services in the receiving country — cooperate fully with this process
Practical Crossing Preparation
Physical preparation
- Carry sufficient water for a 24–48 hour wait in the open
- Pack food for the crossing period
- Bring warm clothing and rain protection — waiting at borders in the open is cold and wet in many regions
- Wear sturdy footwear — border crossings often involve walking on unpaved roads or fields
Security during the crossing
- Keep documents on your person (inside clothing), not in a bag that could be lost or stolen
- Distribute important copies among multiple family members
- Avoid displaying cash or valuable electronics in crowds
- Do not resist if documents are temporarily taken for checking — request a receipt
- Record the names and/or badge numbers of officials who take your documents
Quick Reference
| Situation | Action |
|---|
| Have no travel documents | Claim asylum; explain your situation to the first official contact |
| Told you cannot cross without documents | Invoke your right to claim asylum; ask for UNHCR contact |
| Long queue, unsure of conditions ahead | Ask people emerging from the crossing about current conditions |
| Crossing appears controlled by armed non-state actors | Do not cross here; find an alternate official crossing |
| Child separated in crowd | Report immediately to UNHCR, Red Cross, or nearest uniformed official |
| Documents confiscated by official | Request a receipt; note the official's details; report to UNHCR if not returned |
| Asked to pay a bribe for crossing | Refuse if possible; if your safety is immediately at risk, pay; report to UNHCR after crossing |
| Turned back at the border | Do not return to the place of danger; contact UNHCR; document the refusal |
| Family unit split into different processing queues | Give all family members a common contact name and the meeting point inside |
| Arriving in receiving country with no money | Register with UNHCR; ask about emergency assistance at reception centres |