CITIZENSHIP AND STATELESSNESS IN THE HORN OF AFRICA \Y refugee law adopted in 2019 specifically provided that refugees in Ethiopia could naturalise on the same basis as other foreigners.°' All the territories except for Djibouti require a person naturalising to renounce another nationality, even if they permit dual nationality for those who were born with two nationalities or who acquire another. Ethiopia provides as an alternative that the applicant can “show that ... he is a stateless person”, an important principle to recognise — but it is not clear what evidence would be required to show that the person is stateless. Particular concern about the creation of statelessness arises if there is no possibility for minor children to be included within the application of an adult for naturalisation, since they may be deemed (in law or practice) to have lost the nationality of the parent that they were born with. Very little is known about the implementation of naturalisation provisions in practice, including the basis for proof of residence (whether the person is required to have a legal residence permit, or merely show factual residence). No figures are published, and it seems very likely that (as is the case generally across Africa’) very few acquire citizenship by this route in any of the countries of the region. 91 Refugees Proclamation No.1110/2019, art.42: “Every recognised refugee or asylum seeker who fulfils the necessary requirements provided in the relevant provisions of the Ethiopian Nationality Law relating to naturalisation may apply to acquire Ethiopian Nationality by law.” 22 Bronwen Manby, ‘Naturalisation in African States: Its Past and Potential Future’, Citizenship Studies 25, no. 4 (2021): 514-42, https://doi.org/10.1080/13621025.2021.1926098. 28 UNHCR — December 2021