2. Fill out information about why you’re claiming protection
Question and answer
How do I fill out my Basis of Claim form?The Basis of Claim (BOC) form asks questions about why you're claiming refugee protection. You must give details about:
- what happened in your country
- why you're afraid to go there
- whether you tried to get help from the police in your country
- whether you tried moving elsewhere in your country to be safe, and why you could not live there safely or in another part of your country
- when you decided to leave and why you chose to leave at that time
Most people need to attach additional pages to answer the questions with the amount of detail that is expected. This is called a narrative. You do not have to include a narrative but it's a good idea.
You can give your lawyer or legal representative a draft of what you want to say. But they should review the information. Your representative will also interview you for details to show that you meet the definition of Convention Refugee or . Then they write the final copy of the BOC and narrative based on your answers.
Give accurate information
Give information in the order it happened. Include names and places whenever possible. Use exact dates only if you're very sure. If you're not sure, give an approximate date. For example, early spring or after an important event, like a wedding or a political rally.
If you include information you learned from others, explain who told you, when and how you learned the information, and why you believe it.
List all countries where you're at risk of harm, and all the countries where you have citizenship. Get legal advice if you have more than one citizenship or legal status in more than one country. This can complicate a claim.
Claiming with family members
If your family members are claiming protection for the same reasons, only one of you needs to fully answer these questions. This person is called the “principal claimant.” The others can write that they rely on the principal claimant's BOC. But each family member should also explain any risks unique to them, such as gender-related harms.
More information
There's more information on the My Refugee Claim website, in multiple languages. And you can use these tipsheets to help you.
