2021
Statelessness & Citizenship Review
3(1)
When the applicant does not have an ID, inquiries to relevant local institutions,
including the national civil registry, are made as part of due diligence in the SDP
investigation phase. Like Moldova, the applicant must wait until the SDP ends —
which may take six to nine months according to the law 90 — before they are
notified of the decision rejecting the application on the basis that they are not
stateless but, instead, have the right to Georgian citizenship.
Turkey: Implementing Regulation on Foreigners and International
Protection (‘Regulation on Foreigners and International Protection’) 91
In Turkey, determination of statelessness occurs under art 49(3) of the Regulation
on Foreigners and International Protection. Article 49(3) provides that:
investigations shall be carried out to determine whether the foreigners are among
the ‘unrecorded population’ by contacting the relevant provincial/district
directorates of civil registration and citizenship where there is a question of whether
the applicant may be among the ‘unrecorded population. 92
It can be elucidated that the SDP norm considers those who could be nationals
as an ‘unrecorded population’ or unregistered. In the case of ‘doubt’ regarding
whether the applicant is a national, the application rules grant the SDP discretion
to conduct an investigation in consultation with national sources, such as local or
national civil registry offices. The Regulation is silent on the timing of the
investigation and what should be done if the applicant is identified as a national of
the country. It is unclear whether the SDP would be suspended or filed, or if the
applicant would have to wait until a final decision rejecting the application based
on the applicant’s entitlement to citizenship.
Ukraine: Law of Ukraine on Amending Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine
Regarding Recognition as a Stateless Person (‘Ukraine Statelessness
Amendment Law’) 93
Article 61(2) of the Ukraine Statelessness Amendment Law governs the
recognition of applicants as stateless persons. It states that:
[i]f any circumstances demonstrating the applicant’s eligibility for the Ukrainian
citizenship as per the Law of Ukraine on Citizenship of Ukraine arise during the
procedure of recognition as a stateless person, review of the application on
recognition as stateless person shall be suspended until completion of verification
of belonging to the Ukrainian citizenship. Depending on the outcomes of such
verification the review of the application on recognition as a stateless person shall
be renewed or ceased.
According to art 61(3):
90
91
92
93
Georgian Ordinance No 523 (n 68) art 8(2).
Implementing Regulation on Foreigners and International Protection (2016) 29656 Official
Journal (Turkey) (‘Turkish Implementing Regulation’).
The SDP norm considers those who could be nationals as part of the ‘unrecorded population’.
See ibid art 49(3).
Law of Ukraine on Amending Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine regarding Recognition as
a Stateless Person (2020) (Ukraine) (‘Ukraine 2020 Statelessness Amendment’). This law
amended the Law of Ukraine on the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons (1994)
(Ukraine).
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