evidence and submitting an application. These requirements can easily be missed if a child or young person is unaware of them, if there is no accessible embassy nearby, or if they are required to travel to that country to acquire proof of nationality. In some cases, children and young people may also be unable to pursue these steps safely - for example, where they are refugees and cannot contact or approach the authorities of their country of nationality due to fear or other risks, including the possible loss of their protection status. If nationality is not verified before a child transitions to adulthood, they may have limited options to confirm their nationality or resolve their statelessness later in life. The effects of statelessness may not be acutely felt by children who will usually be able to access education, healthcare, and basic services during childhood. But, as adults, access to rights and services increasingly depends on nationality or residence status, and the ability to obtain, renew, or change a residence status may also depend on having a valid passport or other documentation, creating a real risk of becoming irregular if this is not in place and undermining the ability to access durable long-term solutions. Statelessness in adulthood can also cause barriers to accessing family reunification, higher education, vocational training or employment, participating fully in private and civil life, and can increase the risk of detention. This compounds an already difficult transition and can have long‑term consequences for stability and wellbeing. So it is important that, wherever possible, children are supported before reaching adulthood either to have their nationality confirmed and documented or to be placed on a clear pathway to acquire a nationality. What CAN GUARDIANS DO? To support children and young people during the transition to adulthood, guardians can: • • • • Ensure nationality is considered early by identifying and addressing any issues relating to nationality or statelessness as part of best interests assessments, and revisiting this when planning a young person’s transition to adulthood Identify any requirements to confirm or acquire birth registration and nationality as early as possible, including time‑limited steps such as embassy registration, and support the child or young person to meet these where possible before the age of 18 Facilitate access to specialist legal assistance and procedures to confirm nationality, determine statelessness where relevant, and explore routes to acquiring a nationality Take a cautious and protection‑focused approach for refugee children, recognising that it may not be safe nor appropriate for them to contact the authorities of their (or a parent’s) country of origin, and explore alternative pathways such as statelessness determination and naturalisation where appropriate. 7