12 1 NO CHILD SHOULD BE STATELESS KEY ACTIONS This paper has identified some of the different groups of children affected by statelessness and the key barriers to preventing and reducing statelessness among children in migration in Europe. Statelessness is a solvable problem. There are key actions that States and regional institutions can take to address childhood statelessness and ensure that all children in Europe realise their right to a nationality, regardless of their migration status or that of their parents. 1 INTRODUCE, IMPROVE AND IMPLEMENT SAFEGUARDS TO PREVENT CHILDHOOD STATELESSNESS STATES should introduce safeguards in their nationality laws (in line with the 1961 Convention and the European Convention on Nationality) to ensure that any child who would otherwise be stateless can acquire a nationality, including those born on the territory, born to nationals abroad, foundlings and adopted children. 57 Provisions should cover all children who would otherwise be stateless, regardless of the residence status of the child or their parents, they should be accessible to children in detention or in care, and should ideally be automatic so that no additional procedure nor action on the part of the parents or a representative are required. THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE should promote the accession of all Member States to the 1997 European Convention on Nationality and the comprehensive implementation in national law and practice of Convention standards, including through the identification of good practice and facilitation of awareness-raising and information exchange among parliamentarians and policy-makers. THE EUROPEAN UNION should implement the pledge it made in 2012 for all EU Members States yet to accede to the 1961 Convention to explore doing so, and periodically report on progress towards this goal. Attention should be increased on the causes and impact of – as well as solutions to - childhood statelessness in Europe across all relevant EU institutions and policy areas, including Child Rights, Roma Inclusion, Migration and Asylum, and the External Action Service.

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