When does someone become an applicant for international protection?

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14 When does someone
become an applicant
for international
protection?
A person becomes an applicant for international
protection when he/she has made an
application. Under the EU asylum acquis, a person
is considered to make an application when he/
she expresses, in whatever form and to any
authority, the wish to apply for international
protection, or when he/she can be understood to be
seeking international protection. It is not necessary
to use the exact word ‘asylum’ or ‘refugee’. Applicants
for international protection shall be granted all the
rights and obligations attached to this status.
As a f‌irst-contact ocial, you are often the f‌irst
representative of your country with whom a person
who may be in need of international protection
comes into contact. In many cases, such persons
will have, for the f‌irst time, the chance to express the
wish to apply for international protection to you.
Remember that many persons who may be in need
of international protection fear persecution from
ocials in their own country or have been ill-treated
by ocials in other countries during their journey.
In many cases they may not approach you directly
or actively apply for asylum. First-contact ocials
play a key role in creating an atmosphere of
trust and proactively identifying persons who
may wish to apply for international protection,
providing them with relevant information on
the right to apply for asylum and referring them
to appropriate procedures.
See Section What to do next if a person
applies for international protection”
of the Practical Guide.

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