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Protection of refugees covers a wide field of activities. It begins, or rather should begin, immediately after the refugee has crossed the border of his country into a country of asylum. Is he within the mandate of the United Nations and "eligible" for the benefits of the Convention on the Status of Refugees written in 1951 and now ratified by fifteen parliaments? It is easy to see that in a decision on this vital point the United Nations Office for Refugees should already play a part. Otherwise, the newly arriving refugee will see his fate unilaterally decided by the authorities of the country in which he seeks asylum. In the course of the years, different procedures for establishing the "eligibility" of a refugee have been worked out between governments and our Office. They vary from leaving the decision in principle to our representation in the country concerned - as is the case in Belgium - to our having an observer on the national committee in charge of ruling on the eligibility of a refugee. Ever since the 1951 Convention came into force in April, 1954, the importance of cooperation between governments and our Office in matters of eligibility has increased. For the refugee a favorable decision means obtaining a reasonable "status", whereas an unfavorable decision would mean lasting uncertainty and perhaps an "illegal" existence, even expulsion. Moreover, a fair trial of the newly arriving refugee has become increasingly important, because (integration, into the economy of the country of asylum is possible only when the refugee has a legal status upon which to base his efforts to establish himself.