UNHCR Digital Gateway Contact Centre
Connecting People, Easing Access, and Strengthening Protection
The UNHCR Digital Gateway Contact Centre is a transformative communication platform that makes it easier for forcibly displaced and stateless people to reach UNHCR – and for UNHCR and partners to respond faster, more consistently, and more effectively.
What It Does
The Contact Centre integrates multiple communication channels—such as phone, SMS, WhatsApp, email, and even face-to-face interactions—into a unified platform. Whether people reach out through a mobile phone, an online portal, or in person, their messages reach the right place.
By centralizing communication and case tracking in one intuitive interface, the Contact Centre improves coordination, reduces delays, and ensures that no voice goes unheard.
Why It Matters
For people forced to flee:
Displaced individuals can contact UNHCR through channels they already trust and are easily accessible to them, making it easier and safer to ask questions, seek help, or share feedback.
For humanitarian responders:
Staff and partners get a single, clear view of all incoming requests, making it easier to respond, follow up, and collaborate across teams.
How it Works
Multichannel Support
Real-Time Monitoring
Dashboards make it easy to track trends, identify gaps, and close the feedback loop.
Smart Routing
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) lets callers choose the language and type of help they need.
Integrated Knowledge Base
A searchable repository of verified information – which can be easily updated – ensures people receive accurate and consistent answers.
Streamlined Workflows
Each interaction is logged, categorized, and assigned for follow-up, helping staff stay organized and accountable.
Built for the Real World
The Contact Centre is highly flexible. It can be deployed as part of UNHCR’s broader Digital Gateway—where users can track their requests online—or used independently by operations with minimal infrastructure. It’s already tailored for humanitarian settings:
Can operate without needing access to full case management systems
Suitable for refugee, internal displacement, or mixed contexts.
Supports collaboration with partners through secure data-sharing protocols
A Shared Platform for Inter-Agency Partners
- Referrals to and from NGOs, UN agencies, and government actors
- Partner access via a dedicated portal to receive and manage cases
- Secure data exchange between systems through the PRIMES Interoperability Gateway (PING)
A Sudanese refugee interacts with her smartphone as she navigates the new onboarding tool provided by UNHCR. This digital tool empowers new arrivals to easily request a registration appointment. ©UNHCR/Pedro Costa Gomes
A user testing the Digital Gateway prototype to provide feedback to the Digital Service team in Rwanda. ©UNHCR/Ana Carolina Tome Pires
Powered by Trusted Technology
- Hosted on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform
- Secure, multilingual, scalable across regions
- Aligned with global inter-agency standards for feedback and accountability
- Maintained and supported centrally by UNHCR
