Country Position Paper: Statelessness in Syria
CONTENTS
1.
Summary of Main Issues .................................................................................................................... 3
2.
Relevant Population Data.................................................................................................................. 4
3.
Syria’s Nationality Law ...................................................................................................................... 5
4.
3.1
Gender Discrimination .............................................................................................................................6
3.2
Failure to Prevent Childhood Statelessness ..........................................................................................7
3.3
Deprivation of Nationality ........................................................................................................................8
Civil Documentation........................................................................................................................... 8
4.1
5.
Lack of Access and Barriers to Obtaining Civil Documentation .........................................................8
4.1.1
Marriage Registration .......................................................................................................................9
4.1.2
Birth Registration ........................................................................................................................... 10
4.2
Accessing Consular Services Abroad ................................................................................................... 11
4.3
Children at Increased Risk of Statelessness Due to Civil Documentation Issues ......................... 11
Populations Affected by Statelessness in Syria ............................................................................ 12
5.1
Stateless Kurds ....................................................................................................................................... 13
5.1.1
Status and Documentation ........................................................................................................... 15
5.1.2
The Human Rights Situation for Stateless Kurds in Syria ......................................................... 16
5.1.3
Developments: Access to Nationality for Stateless Kurds under Decree No. 49 of 2011.... 17
5.2
Palestinian Refugees from Syria .......................................................................................................... 18
5.2.1
Displacement, Status and Documentation................................................................................. 18
5.2.2
The Human Rights Situation for Palestinian Refugees from Syria .......................................... 19
5.3
Other People at Risk of Statelessness in Syria ................................................................................... 20
6.
Documentation in Syria ................................................................................................................... 22
7.
Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................... 23
Cover photo: Despite significant bureaucratic challenges in acquiring his temporary residency card
in Damascus, this stateless (maktum) Kurd from Syria discovers it has little recognition outside his
country of birth. Photograph taken by Raman Ibrahim