CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE GENERAL REFUGEE POPULATION PERSONS AT HEIGHTENED RISK OF STATELESSNESS STATELESS REFUGEES 5 6 6 7 ABBREVIATIONS AND GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS 9 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 METHODOLOGY 1.2 OVERVIEW OF THE REPORT 10 13 15 2. THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CONTEXT 2.1 NATIONALITY, STATELESSNESS AND CIVIL DOCUMENTATION IN SYRIA 2.1.1 SYRIAN NATIONALITY LAW 2.1.2 STATELESSNESS IN SYRIA 2.1.3 IDENTITY AND CIVIL DOCUMENTS IN SYRIA 2.2 THE SITUATION IN REFUGEE-HOSTING COUNTRIES 16 17 17 18 19 20 3. PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO SYRIAN NATIONALITY: ACCESS TO CIVIL REGISTRATION 3.1 BARRIERS TO CIVIL REGISTRATION IN THE HOST COUNTRY: PROBLEMS WITH DOCUMENTS 3.1.1 LACK OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS 3.1.2 LACK OF RESIDENCE PERMIT 3.1.3 INCONSISTENCIES AS TO WHICH SYRIAN DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED IN THE HOST COUNTRY 3.1.4 DEALING WITH DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY NON-STATE ACTORS IN SYRIA 3.2 BARRIERS TO CIVIL REGISTRATION IN THE HOST COUNTRY: KNOWLEDGE GAPS 3.2.1 REFUGEES’ LACK OF AWARENESS OF THE HOST COUNTRY’S PROCEDURES 3.2.2 HOST COUNTRIES’ LACK OF AWARENESS OF SYRIAN DOCUMENTS AND THE SYRIAN CIVIL REGISTRATION SYSTEM 3.3 BARRIERS TO CIVIL REGISTRATION IN THE HOST COUNTRY: PRACTICAL AND LOGISTICAL ISSUES 3.3.1 PROHIBITIVE COSTS/ACCESS 3.3.2 LANGUAGE BARRIERS/INCORRECT INFORMATION 3.4 REFUGEES’ COPING MECHANISMS FOR ACCESSING DOCUMENTATION AND CIVIL REGISTRATION 3.4.1 RETURN TO SYRIA 3.4.2 FALSIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS 26 27 27 28 29 30 30 30 4. PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO SYRIAN NATIONALITY: REFUGEES AT HEIGHTENED RISK OF STATELESSNESS 4.1 RISK PROFILES FOR PERSONS FACING PROBLEMS WITH ACCESS TO BIRTH AND MARRIAGE REGISTRATION 4.1.1 CHILDREN WHOSE BIRTH IN THE HOST STATE IS NOT REGISTERED BY THE STATUTORY DEADLINE 4.1.2 CHILDREN BORN WITHIN FEMALE-HEADED HOUSE-HOLDS OR WHERE THE FATHER IS NOT LEGALLY PRESENT 4.2.3 CHILDREN BORN WITHIN CHILD MARRIAGES 4.2 RISK PROFILES FOR PROBLEMS WITH PROOF OF IDENTITY AND NATIONALITY 4.2.1 UNDOCUMENTED REFUGEES 4.2.2 REFUGEES NOT REGISTERED WITH UNHCR 4.2.3 MAKTOUM - THOSE WHO WERE NEVER REGISTERED IN SYRIA 35 31 32 32 33 33 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 40 41 42