CChapter 3: Comparative analysis of nationality laws naturalised nationality than there are provisions that extend to people who acquired nationality by birth. Secondly, none of MENA’s nationality laws include a safeguard to prevent a person from being rendered stateless through the loss or deprivation of nationality. This is a serious concern and here the region’s nationality laws fall far short of the standards set by international law with regard to the avoidance of statelessness – in particular the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, ratified in the MENA region by Libya and Tunisia. There many more circumstances in which a state can withdraw a person’s nationality and render them stateless than those exceptionally tolerated under the 1961 Statelessness Convention.165 For instance, this convention does not allow for the deprivation of nationality in response to a serious nonpolitical crime if this would result in statelessness, while 11 MENA countries have legislated for this possibility – including, notably, Tunisia, which is a state party. Moreover, those provisions of MENA’s nationality laws which are basically aligned with the clauses of the 165 - Under the terms of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, loss or deprivation of nationality can only result in statelessness in the following circumstances: a naturalised person subsequently takes up residence abroad for more than 7 years; a national born abroad who is not present in the state upon attaining majority or a person has acquired nationality by fraud or misrepresentation. In addition, a state can, upon accession to the 1961 Statelessness Convention, retain the right to deprive a person of nationality, including to render them stateless, in the following circumstances: where he or she has committed specific acts inconsistent with a duty of loyalty or has made an oathor formal declaration of allegiance to another State. 123