Togo is situated in West Africa, bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north, with its southern boundary on the Gulf of Guinea. Refugees in Togo originate predominantly from neighbouring and regional contexts, including Ghana and the Central African Republic, as well as from the Sahel, where recent insecurity has driven arrivals. These individuals reside primarily in urban and peri-urban host communities around Lomé and in border areas, accessing housing and public services under civil-residency provisions rather than within formal camps. 

The State acceded to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol in 1977. The Togolese Government has established a regulatory framework to ensure the protection of refugees residing within its territory through Law No. 2016-021 of 24 May 2016, concerning the status of refugees in Togo. This legal instrument clearly outlines the rights of refugees as well as the responsibilities of the relevant institutions. Refugees in Togo are granted free access to the national territory and enjoy freedom of movement upon obtaining a refugee identity card, which serves as a residence permit.