Refugees (UNHCR) reporting in 2016 that in the Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) region, “the percentage of Syrian refugee children born in the region who go undocumented at birth (receiving neither a birth certificate nor a medical birth notification) has been reduced from 34 per cent in 2012 to 7 per cent in 2015 regionally”.18 UNDERSTANDING STATELESSNESS IN THE SYRIA REFUGEE CONTEXT  However, challenges remain – in terms of achieving universal access to civil registration and documentation for all of refugees Syria, in respect of the particular the refugee population who nevertheless “the percentage Syrian from refugee children born in region profiles who go among undocumented at birth remain hard-to-reach or at heightened risk of statelessness for various reasons, (receiving neither a birth certificate nor a medical birth notification) has been reduced from 34 and with regard to the protection of stateless17refugees from Syria. per cent inidentification 2012 to 7 perand cent in 2015 regionally”. However, challenges – in terms of is achieving universal access toan civil registration and the risk of new cases of The aim ofremain this research project to deliver and disseminate assessment of both documentation for all refugees from Syria, in respect particular profiles and among refugeevulnerabilities of stateless statelessness arising among Syrian refugeesofand their children the the particular populationrefugees who nevertheless hard-to-reach at heightened from Syria,remain including looking ator what is and can risk of statelessness for various reasons, and with regard to the identification and protection be done to address these problems. This will help to betterof stateless refugees from Syria. inform the humanitarian community operating in the region on these important issues. The findings will also The aim of this research project is to deliver and disseminate an assessment into the a practical “toolkit” of both thefeed riskdirectly of new cases of development statelessnessofarising among Syrian refugees to help civil society organisations engaged in the refugee and their children and the particular vulnerabilities of stateless refugees from response to better thedone intersections Syria, including looking at whatunderstand is and can be to addressbetween these problems. theirtowork and statelessness, and to share good practices, This will help better inform the humanitarian community operating in the region on innovations these important issues. The findings willcan also feed and practical steps that they take to directly ensure into the development of a practical “toolkit” to help civil society organisations the effective and inclusive protection of stateless persons engaged in the refugee response to better understand the intersections between their within humanitarian assistance programmes and contribute work and statelessness, and to share good practices, innovations to the longer-term prevention and reduction and of practical steps that they can take to ensure the effective and inclusive protection of statelessness. stateless persons within humanitarian assistance programmes and contribute to the longer-term prevention and reduction of statelessness. The research focused on the countries neighbouring Syria which are hosting the greatest numbersSyria of refugees: The research focused on the countries neighbouring which are hosting Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt. This report maps the greatest numbers of refugees: Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt. some the challenges and goodand practices with regards This reportout maps outofsome of the challenges good practices with regards to identifying and addressing statelessness and theand risk statelessness to identifying and addressing statelessness theofrisk of among refugees who have fled Syria. It looks three profiles the refugee statelessness among refugees whoathave fled Syria.within It looks population:at1) members the general refugee population1)coming out of Syria three profilesofwithin the refugee population: members facing challenges in obtaining civil documentation; 2) individuals who of the general refugee population coming out of Syria are at heightened risk of becoming stateless in displacement; and 3) individuals who are both stateless and refugees. facing challenges in obtaining civil documentation; 2) individuals who are at heightened risk of becoming stateless in displacement; and 3) individuals who are both 1.1 METHODOLOGY stateless and refugees. This research project focused on the situation of refugees from Syria in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Turkey. It did not look at other displaced populations in the region nor Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) inside the territory of Syria.18 A qualitative methodology was selected – 1.1. Methodology rather than a quantitative one – as the aim of the project was to develop a deeper understanding of the waysThis in which statelessness and the statelessness feature as aSyria challenge among Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and research project focused onrisk theofsituation of refugees from in Lebanon, the refugee population, and of efforts being undertaken to address this, rather than to establish Turkey. It did not look at other displaced populations in the region nor Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) the scale or reach of particular problems.19 17 18 19 from-syria.pdf; and NRC, Birth Registration Update: The challenges of birth registration in Lebanon for refugees from Syria, 2015, available at: https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/pdf/reports/the-challenges-of-birth-registration-in-lebanon-for-refugees-from-syria.pdf. Ibid, page 15. 17 UNHCR, Addressing Statelessness in the Middle East and North Africa, supra n15, pages 15-16. It must18be noted however that statelessness and the risk of statelessness among those inside Syria is Ibid, page 15. a significant issue. For more discussion on this please see International Rescue Committee (IRC) and UNHCR, Civil Status Documentation in Non-Government Areas of Northern Syria, 2016, available at: https://www.scribd.com/document/319310864/IRC-Full-Assessment-Civil-Status-Documentation-inNon-Government-Areas-in-Northern-Syria-July-2016. While a quantitative mapping of the scale of (potential) statelessness issues in the context of the Syrian displacement throughout the region has not been carried out, there are a number of surveys which provide an insight into how widespread certain relevant problems are among particular segments of the refugee population. See, for instance, on knowledge of civil registration procedures, UNHCR, Multi-Sector Needs Assessment of Syrian Refugees Residing in Camps: Kurdistan Region of Iraq, 2015, available at: http://www.reachresourcecentre.info/system/files/resource-documents/reach_irq_msna_of_syrian_ refugees_in_camps_march2015_3.pdf; and for an assessment of birth registration needs in Lebanon, see the analysis based on NRC’s ICLA programming in The challenges of birth registration in Lebanon RESEARCH REPORT 10 13