Replacing a lost or damaged Uzbek birth certificate also involves the submission of detailed documentation to ZAGS, but claimants who cannot produce it, may submit any other documentation that supports their request for a new birth certificate.140 2.7 Reduction of statelessness As yet, data on the number of stateless persons and the rate at which they acquire or confirm citizenship each year in Central Asia is incomplete. Using statistics from the government in Kyrgyzstan, based on their own data-sets, UNHCR knows of 11,843 stateless persons and persons at risk of statelessness in Kyrgyzstan who acquired or confirmed citizenship in 2009. These were persons with 1974 USSR passports who benefited from the broader definition of ‘citizen’ contained in the new nationality law.141 In Turkmenistan, some 12,000 stateless persons have been registered through a government campaign that started in 2007. Although no official figures are available, some 6,000 of the persons who have been registered are believed to be stateless and the others to have undetermined nationality.142 In 2009, approximately 5,000 of these persons had been able to complete applications for citizenship or permanent residency and were awaiting a final decision pending a review at the State Citizenship Commission.143 In interviews with UNHCR, the Migration Police in Kazakhstan said that some 10,000 persons acquired citizenship by naturalization in 2008, but it is not known how many of them had been stateless. No figures are available from Tajikistan or Uzbekistan on the number of stateless persons who acquired citizenship in that period. 2.7.1 Naturalization A procedure for acquiring citizenship later in life by naturalization is outlined in the nationality laws of each State, and detailed in further instructions and regulations. Acquisition of citizenship through naturalization is, however, not the only solution for stateless persons. One country in Central Asia has granted citizenship to large numbers of stateless residents through the adoption of a new citizenship law. Thus, the 2007 Citizenship Law of Kyrgyzstan considers as citizens of the country all former USSR citizens who reside there permanently for 5 years and who have not applied for the citizenship of any other state.144 None of the Central Asian States offers simplified naturalization for everyone it recognizes as stateless. Stateless persons can however naturalize by the procedure available for foreigners in general. Anyone aged 18 or over, who is of sound mind, can submit a written petition for naturalization to the President. They must be able to show continuous145, lawful residence on State territory for a specified number of years before they petition. In Turkmenistan this is seven years of registered permanent residence, while Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan require five years’ permanent residence.146 140 Ibid, Article 141. Necessary documentation includes a copy of the parents’ passports, or death certificates; the marriage certificates of the parents or the claimant; or birth certificates of the claimant’s brothers and sisters. 141 The 2007 Citizenship Law of Kyrgyzstan now recognizes as a citizen anyone who was a citizen of the USSR, has resided permanently on Kyrgyz territory for five years before applying, and who has applied nowhere else for citizenship (Article 5(2)). 142 Figures cited by the Presidential Citizenship Commission of Kyrgyzstan. 143 All figures cited by Turkmen government officials in workshops and meetings to discuss statelessness. 144 Article 5.2, 2007 Citizenship Law of Kyrgyzstan. 145 Residence is deemed to be continuous if the person does not exceed a specific number of months’ absence from the State for a legitimate reason, such as academic study or medical treatment. 146 Article 23, 1995 Citizenship Law of Tajikistan and Article 14, 1996 Regulation No 611 ‘On the Procedure for Considering Issues related to the Citizenship of the Republic of Tajikistan’; Article 16, 2007 Citizenship Law of Kazakhstan and Section II, 1996 Regulation No 3120 ‘On the Procedure for Considering Issues related to the Citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan’, as amended in 2000; Article 18, 1992 Citizenship Law of Turkmenistan and Section II, 1992 Regulation No 1328 ‘On the Procedure for Considering Petitions and Applications on Issues related to the Citizenship of Turkmenistan’; Article 13(1), 2007 Citizenship Law of Kyrgyzstan and Article 10, 2007 Regulation No 473 ‘On the Procedure for Considering Issues related to the Citizenship of the Kyrgyz Republic’; Article 17, 1992 Citizenship Law of Uzbekistan and ~ 23 ~