that all Montenegrin residents, regardless of citizenship status, can receive the vaccine. The includes persons who are in the process of resolving their legal status and those who have no documents at all.13 - 14 SOCIO-ECONOMIC RIGHTS Exclusion from Emergency Relief: During the COVID-19 pandemic, those without resolved government measures. The government rolled citizens.15 Each level only applied to Roma with STATELESSNESS AND THE RIGHT TO NATIONALITY IN MONTENEGRO The Constitution of Montenegro 2007,16 Law on Montenegrin Citizenship 2008,17 and Law on Foreigners 2018,18 collectively set out the rules related to citizenship. The 2008 Citizenship Acts stipulates that Citizenship can be acquired via origin; birth on the territory; naturalisation and international agreements and treaties.19 Due to the nexus between lack of birth registration and the risk of statelessness, in 2015, the Law on Non-Contentious Proceedings20 was amended to establish a procedure to register the date and place of birth of those born outside the formal health system. This amendment has improved the situation of late birth registration in Montenegro and reduced the risk of statelessness.21 By December 2020, Montenegro had also begun the implementation of new birth registration practices for children abandoned by their mothers, or whose mothers are without ID.22 Further, in 2018 a bylaw to the Law on Foreigners introduced an SDP23 giving stateless people the opportunity to formalise their stateless status and thus acquire legal residence and access to basic rights. was the distribution of €50 to persons who receive social assistance via the Center for Social Work; the second level was also €50 to reau; the third and fourth instalments of €100 or €200 also applied to people on the records of the Center for Social Work. The increase in Montenegrin general elections. Roma who lack documentation were denied access to these formal settlements were completely excluded The project “Learn My Name”, carried out by Walk With Us -Phiren Amenca, aims to tackle statelessness in Montenegro by documenting the exclusion of the Roma community within Podgorica via evidence-based research, and developing a better understanding of the impact used as a basis for advocacy, initiating dialogue with humanitarian and government actors, documents. the project will engage the Ministry of Interior Affairs, which is responsible for regulating the legal status of the Roma and Egyptian communities; the Ministry of Economic Development, Undocumented Roma communities were also not fully reached by humanitarian organisa- Social Welfare, which is responsible for the distribution of assistance packages, and the Red Cross. organisation in Montenegro, the Red Cross, did not include those without documentation in its relief efforts, as it relies on government the government relief fund. In cooperation with the Red Cross, the state provided aid packages, some of which did reach people with resolved legal status and in some cases, this type of assistance also went to people with unresolved legal status. However, this was only if they lived close to the areas where assistance was given, Such relief has only been provided once or twice since the pandemic started and has not been Lost Livelihoods: The stateless, and those at risk of statelessness are generally unable to access formal employment due to their lack of legal documentation. They tend to therefore work in the informal economy. As a result of the lockdowns, many lost their sources of income pushing them further into poverty. The Roma community is very aware of the pandemic and the health risks. However, due to lack of government assistance and state failures to ensure food and clean water for all individuals, they are forced to continue working, if they can, to ensure survival. 40 THE CESF CONSORTIUM PROJECT in the best interest of the Roma and Egyptian community in Montenegro, monitoring policies and actively improving conditions for this community in the areas of employment, education, housing, health, legal status, safety and equality. This organisation creates opportunities for non-formal education and dialogue in order to challenge prevalent stereotypes and antigypsyism. It aims to integrate and actively engage young Roma and Egyptian men and women into Montenegrin society, strengthen institutional capacities for the inclusion of Roma and Egyptian communities and reduce negative attitudes and discrimination against Roma and Egyptians in Montenegro. Impact ber of people with unresolved legal status, as well as understanding how the distribution of COVID-19 aid took place and how many people were left out.24 In discussions with relevant institutions, there have been visible shifts and sensitisation on the issue, as well as a clear intention and recognition of the necessity to reopen the public call to submit requests for the resolution of legal status in Montenegro, which originally closed in January 2015. The project has also placed additional pressure on the Montenegrin Government to honor its pledges to engage in European political activities to end statelessness.