2. Face of Statelessness in Finland 2.1 Background 2.1.1 Historical background The principle of jus sanguinis was laid down in Section 4 of the first constitution of independent Finland, Constitution Act of 1919,17 according to which everyone born to Finnish parents had the right to Finnish nationality. The Act also provided for the automatic confer of nationality from a Finnish man to his foreign wife. However, a Finnish woman could not pass her nationality to her foreign husband.18 The first Nationality Act of Finland19 was adopted in 1920 and regulated the naturalization of foreign citizens. It provided for the grant of nationality upon application by a person who had lived in Finland for the last five years, had a good reputation and was able to support himself and his family, provided that he lost or was freed from his former nationality. A wife and minor children would automatically acquire Finnish nationality with their husband or father. The Act did not contain any provisions on loss of nationality; therefore the Act was complemented with an Act on the Loss of Finnish Nationality20 in 1928. This Act provided for the loss of Finnish nationality upon acquisition of a foreign nationality, for loss of nationality for a person without any close connections to Finland at the age of 22 as well as for a possibility for Finnish nationals to apply to the President for release from their Finnish nationality.21 The provisions on acquisition and loss of nationality were included in one Act, the Act on Acquisition and Loss of Finnish Citizenship of 1941.22 The Act aimed at preventing dual nationality and, to a certain, extent statelessness, and at promoting gender equality. According to the Act, children born to stateless fathers, and children born out of wedlock, acquired Finnish citizenship from their mother. Foundlings were also, for the first time, mentioned in the Act.23 In 1968, the Constitutional provision on citizenship24 was amended and a new Nationality Act25 and a Nationality Decree26 were adopted. These amendments introduced several reforms to the Finnish nationality legislation. A very important provision regarding the prevention of statelessness was introduced; children born in Finland 12 17 Suomen hallitusmuoto, 94/1919 18 EUDO Citizenship Observatory Country Report: Finland, Jessica Fagerlund, Sampo Brander, revised and updated January 2013, EUDO Citizenship Observatory, p. 4. 19 Act on the Grant of Finnish Citizenship to a foreigner, Laki ulkomaalaisen ottamisesta Suomen kansalaiseksi, 33/1920. 20 Laki Suomen kansalaisuuden menettämisestä 181/1927. 21 EUDO Citizenship Observatory Country Report: Finland, Jessica Fagerlund, Sampo Brander, revised and updated January 2013, EUDO Citizenship Observatory, p. 4-5. 22 Laki Suomen kansalaisuuden saamisesta ja menettämisestä, 325/1941. 23 EUDO Citizenship Observatory Country Report: Finland, Jessica Fagerlund, Sampo Brander, revised and updated January 2013, EUDO Citizenship Observatory, p. 5. 24 Act amending section 1 subsection 4 of the Constitution Act, Laki hallitusmuodon 4 §:n 1 momentin muttamisesta, 518/1967. 25 Kansalaisuuslaki, 401/1968. 26 Kansalaisuusasetus, 402/1968. MAPPING STATELESSNESS IN FINL AND