Prevention and reduction of statelessness IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT RESEARCH ON STATELESS CHILDREN BORN IN NORWAY be carried out in order to determine the number, current legal status, profiles and needs of these children. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE NORWEGIAN NATIONALITY ACT BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE SAFEGUARDS PREVENTING CHILDREN FROM BEING BORN INTO STATELESSNESS by providing for the automatic grant of Norwegian nationality at birth to persons born in the territory who would otherwise be stateless, in accordance with Article 1(1)(a) of the 1961 Convention or, alternatively, that nationality be granted by application pursuant to Article 1(1)(b). Importantly, if Norway chooses to grant its nationality by application, it must be done in line with the enumerated permissible conditions set out in Article 1(2). Pursuant to Article 1(1)(a) of the 1961 Convention, and Articles 7 and 3 of the CRC, UNHCR recommends states to grant children born on the territory who would otherwise be stateless citizenship automatically at birth. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT NORWAY GRANT ITS NATIONALITY TO ALL PERSONS WHO WERE BORN STATELESS IN ITS TERRITORY REGARDLESS OF AGE AND WHO ARE STILL STATELESS TODAY in recognition of its longstanding commitments under the 1961 Convention, the retroactive provisions of that Convention, and the fact that persons born in Norway and guaranteed protection by Article 1 of the Convention may now be well into adulthood and remain stateless. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE NATIONALITY ACT BE INTERPRETED SUCH THAT BIRTHS ABOARD A NORWEGIAN AIRCRAFT be deemed to have occurred on the Norwegian territory. IT IS RECOMMENDED TO REVIEW THE CRITERIA FOR NATURALIZATION TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER REDUCING THE REQUIREMENTS PLACED UPON STATELESS PERSONS, IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THEIR NATURALIZATION. For example, it is recommended that the standard of proof governing proving one’s identity be reviewed so that the burden is shared between the individual and the state. It is likewise recommended that the criteria for acquisition of permanent residence be reviewed. 54 M A P P I N G STAT E L E S S N E S S I N N O RWAY