© UNHCR/Maciej Moskwa
We appreciate this is a very stressful time for people with family and loved ones in Ukraine.
Please note that Australia for UNHCR is an Australian charity raising funds from the Australian public for UNHCR’s humanitarian and emergency programmes overseas. We cannot help on asylum or resettlement matters. We are separate to, and independent from, UNHCR.
As such, any enquiries to UNHCR should be sent to the UNHCR Multi-Country Office (MCO) in Canberra by emailing [email protected] or calling +61 (0)2 6281 9100.
UNHCR remains firmly committed to supporting all affected persons in Ukraine and countries in the region. Asylum-seekers and refugees wanting to access important information on the current situation in Ukraine should visit the UNHCR Ukraine “HELP” website.
Please also note that the MCO in Canberra does not generally follow up with refugees or asylum-seekers outside Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. To contact a UNHCR office outside of Australia, please visit http://www.unhcr.org/en-au/contact-us.html and/or check http://help.unhcr.org
If you are seeking information from UNHCR in countries outside Ukraine, you can find this on the 'HELP' pages of those countries including Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and others.
UNHCR has provided the following advice for enquiries about help in Ukraine.
The UNHCR Ukraine ‘HELP’ website is available here: https://help.unhcr.org/ukraine/
Please note that UNHCR Ukraine is not involved in exit procedures or evacuations of any person from Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has established an emergency hotline for foreign students wishing to leave Ukraine. Those who require assistance can call, Viber or Telegram the following number: +380 93418 56 84. A questionnaire has also been created for collecting basic information about students and their whereabouts in order to advise them on the means available for their departure.
A Telegram channel 'REFUGEE HELPER' has been created for those refugees who have already applied or received protection in Ukraine (NOT Ukrainians): https://t.me/refugeehelperua. Information is provided in several languages, including English and Russian.
Ukraine State Emergency Services (SES) has launched a WhatsApp information helpline that will connect users to critical updates, reliable and trustworthy information and other vital services. To start using the helpline, save the number +380 67678 59 17 in contacts and text the word почати (begin) in a WhatsApp message.
For those seeking information on Australia's response, please see the Department of Home Affairs website 'Ukraine visa support'. Whilst UNHCR exercises a supervisory role over the implementation of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol in Australia they are not able to assist with individual visa applications.
For information on refugee and humanitarian visa options please see the Australian Department of Home Affairs website at: Refugee and humanitarian visa options. Please note that you do not need to be registered with or referred by UNHCR in order to apply for a refugee or humanitarian visa. These visas are processed and granted by the government of Australia.
Free legal help for those in Australia is also available from Refugee Legal on [email protected] - Wednesdays: 10am – 2pm; and Fridays: 10am – 2pm on (03) 9413 0100.
Family members who have lost contact with relatives in Ukraine or Russia due to the current situation can contact the Australian Red Cross Family Links Network to assist you to re-establish contact with your family members. Their hotline is available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (AEST) on 1800 875 199 or via [email protected]
For culturally relevant counselling support, STARTTS has set up a hotline to assist all people in the community touched by this conflict. STARTTS Witness to War Hotline is available on 1800 845 198.