MAPPING OF THE POPULATION AT RISK OF STATELESSNESS IN ALBANIA istry of Interior checks and verifies these documents before delivering the request to the President for consideration and enactment. The President and the Ministry of Interior have different prerogatives: the Ministry checks whether the format of the request is correct, while the President of the Republic decides on the legal basis of the application. Facilitated naturalisation is applied in the case of spouses, individuals of Albanian origin and stateless people. Therefore, the following conditions which are a part of the regular naturalisation are waived for stateless persons: being over 18 years old, having accommodation and sufficient financial means, having never been sentenced for a criminal offence for which the law provides a three-year (or higher) prison sentence, having basic knowledge of the Albanian language. However, individuals who are undocumented and at risk of statelessness – but not officially recognised as a stateless person - have to apply for Albanian citizenship through the regular procedure. Consequently, they do not benefit from the above-mentioned legal facilities, but have to fulfil all requirements, including a lawful and continuous residence for at least five years or a sufficient income and a habitation, which are conditions that are often impossible for undocumented persons to meet. 4.2.3. Loss of citizenship According to the law, a minor can lose his/her Albanian nationality only where both their parents agree for the child to renounce citizenship. Sometimes, this procedure is carried out even when one of the parents is unwilling to do this, as long as the loss (substitution with another nationality) of the Albanian nationality is considered to be in the child’s best interest. A request for the renunciation of the Albanian nationality cannot be approved unless the citizen presents the guarantee of the acquisition of a new nationality. Thus, today, no request for the renunciation of nationality is accepted as long as the authorities are not sure if the child has or will acquire a new nationality. For this, the individual is required to bring an official document that provides a promise of a new nationality or a document that shows that he or she has already gained a new nationality. 4.3. Statelessness in Albanian national law 4.3.1. An incomplete definition of statelessness With regards to statelessness, Albanian citizenship law provides for specific safeguards for foundlings, or for persons who have renounced Albanian citizenship, having been promised another nationality, who do not acquire the promised citizenship within a reasonable period of time. UNHCR - TLAS / May 2018 35