Urgent! Lost UK Refugee travel document abroad

[happydev]

Hi,
My Friend have been recognized as a refugee in the UK a few months ago. He went to Germany and forgot his coat which contained the travel document in the bus coming back. he is now stuck for more than a week. He went to see the British consulate, but they advised him that they do not issue emergency travel document to foreign nation. They sent him back with a link which contains the same information for British National. That's very strange they don't seem to know the exact procedure to help out non British. Furthermore he applied for Emergency travel document and paid £100 hoping to get some sort contact from the authorities.

I tried contacting the Home Office here but they keep referring to other department saying 'They might be able to help'. This is so frustrating.

Could someone put us through the right direction. As you can imagine, he is quite disturbed and having problem staying there so long.

[Zerubbabel]

Hello

You have to be very careful of the legal ramifications of travelling on refugee status.

A British citizen is covered in the UK and abroad. Diplomatic representations have the duty to assist citizens abroad in various situations.

Now, as a refugee with a travel document, your status means that the UK offers protection while you are in the UK. You are not afforded an unlimited and universal protection that follows you during your trips abroad.

To be put simply: once you leave the UK, you are on your own. If you have an issue abroad, they disown you. You are not a citizen so there is no entitlement to anything.

I have seen only a few cases where refugee/convention documents are lost abroad and the situation is like a circle that is hard to break. You can get a replacement if you are in the UK, but there is no assistance abroad.