ROCKY BLOCKED ROAD TOWARDS CITIZENRY Slow and hectic procedural hazards continue to prevent stateless persons in Akkar escaping their condition, with the road described by respondents toward nationality appearing rocky and congested. • Seventy three percent of the stateless from the main questionnaire say they have engaged in a procedure to acquire the Lebanese nationality in the past (67% among women respondents), mostly through local mukhtars or personal lawyers. Of those, 50% are Bedouin from Wadi Khaled, and the rest are from other regions, with the Dom representing 15% of those who have already engaged in the process. On the other hand, 27% never bothered, mostly stating financial factors (46%) and cluelessness as to who to contact to start the process (27%). • Only 10% say they can resort to an NGO to assist them in the process, with half of those respondents (21 people) mentioning the NGO “Ruwad al Houqouq”. Such proceedings did not have higher success rates compared to other channels of submission. • Among the initiated requests (426 respondents), 39% were launched before 2005, and 35% originated after 2015. The success rates do not vary much when comparing both periods - an indication about how rigid and ineffective the proceedings have remained. • The respondents who have initiated the procedure have been in the process for an average of 14 years. The procedure involved financial engagement for around 70% of them, with amounts varying from $80 to over $40,000 (at the official rate of 1,505LBP to the USD). • Looking at the path of those who engaged in such procedure (see next slide), one third of respondents did not go past filing their request at the mukhtar’s office, compared to 26% for Tripoli. Only 3% of respondents have proceeded with a DNA test, compared to 7% for in Tripoli, mainly due to its large cost that many openly stated they could not afford. • Only 22% actually completed all the administrative steps and are waiting for a ruling, compared to 14% in Tripoli 6% Prior to 1994 1994 33% 1994-2005 2005 26% 2015 2005-2015 35% Since 2015 Fig 33. When did you initiate your nationality procedure? (426 respondents) © 2021 Siren Associates. All Rights Reserved.