relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and consider ratifying the 1961 Convention on the
Reduction of Statelessness10
22. Children denied Barbadian nationality due to gender discrimination in the nationality laws may
also suffer from violations of their right to healthcare and to education, enshrined in CRC Articles
24 and 28. Barbados’ national healthcare system provides care to citizens and residents is free of
cost, while healthcare for foreigners and non-citizens must be paid for.11 Non-citizen children
must obtain a student visa from the Immigration Department and pay school fees for secondary
school.12 Children who cannot access Barbadian nationality due to gender discrimination in the
nationality law are also at a heightened risk of statelessness, unemployment, poverty, social
alienation and psychological damage.
Recommendations
23. Drawing on the information provided in this submission, we urge member states to make the
following recommendations to Barbados:
10
I.
As recommended by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, amend the Constitution
and Citizenship Act to remove provisions that discriminate based on the parent’s gender
and marital status and establish safeguards to prevent children from being stateless.
II.
Amend the Constitution and Citizenship Act in order to enshrine women and men’s equal
ability to confer nationality on non-national spouses.
III.
Take steps to ensure that all children and adults who have been denied access to
Barbadian citizenship due to gender discriminatory nationality laws, are granted
nationality and in the interim, that they fully enjoy their other human rights on a nondiscriminatory and equal basis.
IV.
Accede to the 1961 Convention on to Reduction of Statelessness to ensure the
development of legislation and regulations which ensure every child’s right to a
nationality and that no child is born stateless in Barbados.
CRC/C/BRB/CO/2, 3 February 2017, available at:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CRC/Shared%20Documents/BRB/CRC_C_BRB_CO_2_26590_E.pdf
11 Health Systems Profile, Barbaods, Pan American Health Organization, page 18, available at:
http://new.paho.org/hq/dmdocuments/2010/Health-System-Profile-Barbados-2008.pdf; See also:
https://www.globalsurance.com/health-insurance/barbados/
12 See Barbados Ministry of Education, available at: http://www.barbadoseducation.info/K12/Barbados-K-12-EducationSystem.html