Persons of unknown nationality with a residence permit
67. As reflected in figure 7,89 36,000 persons of unknown nationality have a residence status
on asylum grounds in the Netherlands.
Fig. 7 - Residence status of people with unknown
nationality in the Netherlands
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
Asylum
Regular
Either
None
Source: CBS, situation 1 January 2010
68. Applying the same reasoning used above when describing registered stateless persons
with an asylum permit, this group most likely consists mainly of refugees whose reasons
for flight were convincing despite having limited documentary support. This assumption
is corroborated by the fact that 54 per cent of this group originates from Afghanistan, Iraq
or Somalia,90 which have been the top three countries of origin of asylum-seekers and
refugees in the Netherlands for several years.
69. Another large number of people of unknown nationality, 35,527 to be exact, possess a
regular residence permit. In theory, people whose absent or unclear nationality prevents
them from leaving the Netherlands should be able to obtain legal residence through
the “no-fault” procedure. However, permits on this ground are rarely issued and are
therefore unlikely to extend beyond the group of “recognized stateless persons with
regular permits” described above.91 Nevertheless, looking at the countries of origin of
these regular residence permit holders, 26 per cent of them (or 9,252 individuals) come
from two regions of the world particularly prone to statelessness: the former Yugoslavia
30
89
CBS, data not available on Statline but on file with UNHCR.
90
Ibid.
91
In 2008, only 50 permits out of 1,990 regular permits issued to stateless persons or persons of
unknown nationality were granted as a result of a no-fault procedure. No-fault permits: Reactie
Staatssecretaris van Justitie op kamervragen Tweede Kamer, TK 2009-2010, 19 637, nr. 1302.
Total regular permits: CBS, available at http://tinyurl.com/678ma92 [accessed on 11 January 2011].
According to information received from the DT&V approximately 50 and 30 persons respectively
received a residence permit in 2009 and 2010 as a result of the no fault procedure (email of 17
March 2011).
Mapping statelessness