Country Position Paper: Statelessness in Iraq certificates, marriage certificates or nationality documentation. In addition, they do not have allocated electoral seat quotas in the Iraqi Parliament unlike some other minority groups.106 Iraqis of African descent primarily reside in “economically marginalised areas” 107 of Basrah and Baghdad’s Sadr City and “…are subjected to frequent verbal abuse, including by continually being referred to as “abd”, or slave.”108 Many reside in informal settlements, where they are at risk of eviction.109 Given the widespread poverty and exclusion from education and employment, many Iraqis of African descent struggle to access basic services, have high illiteracy rates, lack civil documentation for vital civil status events, and have unregistered marriages.110 A lack of civil documentation not only increases the risk of statelessness, but also “…hinders school enrollment, employment, travel and access to services.”111 106 Institute for International Law and Human Rights, Iraq’s Minorities and Other Vulnerable Groups: Legal Framework, Documentation and Human Rights, May 2013, at 8 and 64, available at: http://lawandhumanrights.org/documents/MinorityHB_EN.pdf 107 Minority Rights Group International, Alternative Report to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – Review of the Periodic Report of Iraq, 2018, at 28, available at: http://bit.ly/2VKsoYo. 108 UNHCR, International Protection Considerations with Regard to People Fleeing the Republic of Iraq, May 2019, at 78, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5cc9b20c4.html 109 UNHCR, International Protection Considerations with Regard to People Fleeing the Republic of Iraq, May 2019, at 78, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5cc9b20c4.html. Also see, Minority Rights Group International, Alternative Report to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – Review of the Periodic Report of Iraq, 2018, at 28, available at: http://bit.ly/2VKsoYo. 110 Institute for International Law and Human Rights, Iraq’s Minorities and Other Vulnerable Groups: Legal Framework, Documentation and Human Rights, May 2013, at 57, available at: http://lawandhumanrights.org/documents/MinorityHB_EN.pdf. See also, Minority Rights Group International, Alternative Report to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – Review of the Periodic Report of Iraq, 2018, at 28, available at: http://bit.ly/2VKsoYo. 111 Institute for International Law and Human Rights, Iraq’s Minorities and Other Vulnerable Groups: Legal Framework, Documentation and Human Rights, May 2013, at 72, available at: http://lawandhumanrights.org/documents/MinorityHB_EN.pdf 18