Table of contents
Foreword................................................................................................v
Acronyms ..............................................................................................vi
1
Introduction ............................................................................ 1
2
Defining the concepts ..................................................... 6
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9
2.10
Citizenship or nationality............................................................. 6
Stateless...................................................................................... 6
At risk of statelessness ................................................................. 8
Birth registration ......................................................................... 8
Undocumented person ............................................................... 9
Irregular migrant......................................................................... 9
Jus soli ......................................................................................... 9
Jus sanguini ............................................................................... 10
In situ stateless persons ............................................................. 10
Nationality acquired by automatic modes versus nonautomatic modes ...................................................................... 10
2.11 Discretionary versus non-discretionary applications for
citizenship................................................................................. 11
3
Legal framework on nationality and statelessness
in South Africa ...................................................................... 14
3.1
3.2
4
International law ....................................................................... 14
South African Legal Framework ................................................. 20
Assessing citizenship and identifying a stateless
person in practice ................................................................ 41
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
5
Step One: Personal history interview ......................................... 42
Step Two: Analysis of the states to which the client has ties....... 43
Step Three: Make your initial assessment................................... 49
Step Four: Approaching competent authorities to confirm
nationality status....................................................................... 51
Step Five: Apply the UNHCR guidelines and confirm client's
citizenship or stateless status ..................................................... 54
Finding a solution for clients: immigration status
and citizenship ..................................................................... 56
5.1
5.2
5.3
6
People with an unrecognised claim to South African
citizenship................................................................................. 58
Stateless persons with no claim to South African citizenship ...... 95
Last resort options: litigation and resettlement ........................ 106
Prevention of statelessness .............................................. 108
6.1
6.2
Assisting vulnerable children ................................................... 108
Birth registration of other foreign children .............................. 120
Promoting citizenship and preventing statelessness in South Africa: A practitioner’s guide
iii