STATELESSNESS: A MINORITY ISSUE #ROMABELONG: TACKLING ROMA STATELESSNESS IN THE WESTERN BALKANS & UKRAINE Globally, minorities are at particular risk of statelessness. In fact, twothirds of the world’s stateless are minorities. In Europe, many Roma, despite being nationals under the letter of the law, struggle to prove links to their home country, due to discrimination, marginalisation and lack of access to justice. Set up in 2016, the #RomaBelong project is a joint initiative by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI) and ENS to alert governments and institutions in the Western Balkans and further afield to focus much-needed attention on statelessness among Roma communities. As part of our #RomaBelong regional advocacy strategy, we took part in the UN Forum on Minority Issues, which focused on statelessness. We spoke about minority women and children affected by statelessness, calling for an intersectional approach to addressing statelessness as a minority issue, whilst also highlighting the impact of risks of statelessness on Roma women and children. We have welcomed, and will follow up, the UN Special Rapporteur’s focus on the issue, and in particular his report to the UN General Assembly. In June we published a new report in our #RomaBelong series, a country study focusing on Albania. Coupled with an individual complaint lodged by ERRC and the Tirana Legal Aid Society before the Human Rights Committee, and a wider push at the regional level, this should serve as a reminder to Albanian authorities to translate their commitments into actions. In January, we participated in the European Commission’s (DG NEAR) consultations to inform its Enlargement Progress Reports and ensure that Roma statelessness is addressed as part of the discussion on fundamental rights. In February, #RomaBelong project partners made a joint submission to the Special Rapporteur on racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia for her thematic report on racial and ethnic based discrimination through nationality and citizenship exclusion. In February, we attended a Roma Integration 2020 workshop in Berlin, with government officials, Roma civil society representatives and other key stakeholders to discuss how to address discrimination and antigypsyism in the enlargement region. New joint #RomaBelong research, published in September on Ukraine, warns that Roma in the country remain caught between rising violence, institutional racism and state policy failings, and are being further marginalised by the risk of statelessness. We remain involved with our #RomaBelong partners as we lead on the regional advocacy work to stamp out Roma statelessness. The Eur opean Roma workin Rights g to com Centre bat ant involves (ERRC i-Ro strateg ) is a Rom ic litigatio mani racism Romani a-led inte and hum activis n, inte rnation ts. The rnation an righ Econom al pub ERRC ts abu ic and has con al advocacy, se of Rom lic interes Social resear t law org sultative Counc a. The ch and Th il of the ani status approa The Eur poleicy with the United ch of the sation develo opean wo Euro Nation Counc ERRC Netwo countri rk pe pment and s. rk on Sta es com Eur an invo ilinof trainin g to ope tele mit g of R, oas we a right ssness ted to c ll as wit m Ro lves to a nat addres (ENS) is h the ma str omba a Rig sing sta ionality aims to a civi a telessn l societyEco ni a and tha t te h achieve ess in t tho allia nonce ctiv gic anti-R ts Ce its mis Europe lit micwithisove sion thro se who lack n o ig . ts r ENS bel nationalit atio man tre (E ugh aw The Ins The ievesantha d S . Th100 arenes y altoget nmb titute on e E me R rac , inersi in t s-ra E all o her hum 40 isin u R c ted to Statele tern ism RC) is are ro g, law cou beings an inte peaentitled toial Co anRC ssness atioe and aR trieand grated a&ripolnicy and Inc full pro throug nN un techas c hav , human s cap g lusion h a com cil tion on nal a hum oma etwy-b rights (ISI) is aim ht to comm acit -le binatio dvo suS an orkuilding actof th . EN based an indepe n of res s to a n rig d inte e .U ltative cac ivities respon on atio itted earch, nde h Tirana se to the ach nt non nit educat nalitfit to a State sta y, res ts ab rnati Legal Aid ed Th injustic ieve -pro ion, par d o u tu org le y d N Society statele e e of staits tnersh In a d anire atio s w earch se o nal p sat ssn s ion ssne (TLAS) tele tedips and stitu f misssnness u a ns. ith thaandsing com is one smit adv continu ess. TLAS offe s to the nd p Rom blic in oca s te of t s (E ion cy. th ed the fore rs th exc ta ion NS a Co olicy a. Th tere thro ose luste most NGroug n inte on S Governm to work for the free legal aid les ) is un e tate de ha service w Os in s u ent. TLA improv g cil a n g ve app st la Alb arate s for tho civ h aw ho la ess le ement awarenes of S’s mis NGusands coani mb dea d,ling ssn of the Eu lopm roach w org sion is s of Alb are ck n in E il soc O“ h e wit birth reg rop of in to en u h s improv sta ani u ie a fulfi nes tio istr D s aissu teleass an soc ti ro l the leg tio chilman the t a of th anisa e, ement nd e of iety s-ra onalit pe. ty alli n n as ti al andin n, watioenssys of the nriand Inc anc EN gh adu soc hic yatetem in par ofdre we d tra e ERR on is y legal sys on the rule of ternial nee re in alt S Kv in e tnershse ts b ltsluand ll a g, law and tem, com waof the mohumatio hds law ogeth belie with s w ing o C ase sionhas wit s e itnpoo ya”r, and iparc munity h the re n an h ve (I a d ith f o righ & e Alb , S s devdelo l lats; andta polic r are s th ver 10 eve du reani the pm than w– blis (“The educate eand s oan I) is a to crais 20 stre and enti at all atio e pthe ya hedertake 0m vuln lopent nse n in Teninit Hu und m ye ngt nd tl n, go ing on th iatives cap ed to huma emb part to th depe aim erable ent o ars o hen on the of f civ f e Grotidem1ocr n b ers Auacy nd Ap a e e n fu c s d e in in it u en x g ri o ER in ll e Alb rsh y-b RC at hu cial g il soc perie s de ust 2 l”ani ) is a. ips justic t no uild prote ings h 40 G m n ,E n-p cti ing and e o av NS an ri roups iety in ce in root. 012 a an in acti on. E e d n , IS advo f sta rofit . g vitie NS I, U hts p Sinc Ukra the s “Des d nam epen The #Ro cac teles organ phe yate SA rote e its ine, s. maBel ed dent, sne y. is ID, ong pro re to Institu vo ss ation ject is and ction found enh of h Kvitn after te on Sta and a joint c ya” the lunta um an telessn oth with atio collabora initiative exc omm ess and ers the n, “D ce leg an rig was birth ry an tion wit by the it lu T . Inc d d sio fo h partne Europe lusion he al h sup ay (Vaša pra e n (ISI #R an Rom of non-p r organi port syate aware ts pro unde va BiH one omthe a Rights rofi sations Insti ) and d Associ te (Mladi K n of in tute aBeEuropean Ne ation), Centre Romi), the vitnya ess, ction by a te of th t org Maced collaAlbani (ERRC lo Serbia twork an w e and add inte ” h and a onia bo oan(Tir ), the on Sta (Praxis) StaanangLeg ress Rom p to ith th m of foun isarna as b telessn ra and Uk (Vaš(Mace tele roaljecAid Society de pro e ess (EN ac tion neighb ani sta o ian You e a p tidon rain ), Bosnia ng (Me (De ss Lawt is telessn ourhoo S) in ravate n wit al o en ca tect aim to tivists rs of d countr -Herze ess (an lad sya h p ness yeras jo Kvitny rr ri rga Monte Ass BiH iR govina a). andd risk ies in the artThe pro negro ation), nis ying ghts supp with and int oci o of sta m n A and Ser Mo a o in o Weste ort ssoess er o jecInt aim itia tion u f nteneg i), telessn dd ne rn aBal bia), and clu s to tibet ro rg s in t diffe partic the kan s s Serbia ciati) in Eur Ukrain ighb re ion ve ter u re clu on anope Me. by understan is ansUn ou s R(Alb o ania,(PBos din nt p larly on (IS the d ra nia),-He M ation ion ten rhoo man g U roje s in I)can E a didate i sta xis) a arze cedgovina dc eg NH c ro , Kos nd th uand ro o CR ts and untr teles nd U onia Albaovo e Ecedpean , n , Ma kra ie (M sn Se ace ia (Tir uroponia,Rom ine rbia s in th ess e ), a e W (and (Des donia ana L an N a Rig nd hts yate etw n Yo ega Uk estern risk o Ce lA ork un Kv rain fs n id g it B tr o n ta S L nS alk e (E e. ans tele ya). T awye ocie ty), tatele RRC rs (Alb ssne he p ), ssn roje Asso Bos ania ss) es the n in cia ct ,B tio ia-He s (EN osn Euro aim CHALLENGI ia-H pea s to n), M rzego S) in NG DISCRI n on b vin erz te a MINATION eg Unio etter ovin nc un negro PROMOTIN de a a, K n G EQUALI oso didate rstan TY d vo, a Ma nd ced on ia, ROMA B ELONG Stateless of Roma ness, Discrimin ation and in Albania Margina FEBRUA lisation RY 2018 CHA LLEN GIN GD ISC RIM INA TIO NP RO MO TIN MA G EQ Sta of R teless CHALLENGING DISCRIMIN oma ness ATION PRO MOTING EQUALITY in U , Dis krai crim 201 ne inat 8 ion and Mar gina lisa tion RCH UALI TY CHA LLEN GIN GD ISC RIM INA TIO NP RO s Index Displaced Persons), rate on he European ROM AB ELO NG Strasbourg, October 2018 – #RomaBelong workshop identified the need for a blended approach to tackle the issue, recognising the important role of legal tools but also acknowledging that anti-gypsyism is a root cause of statelessness among Roma. MO TIN G EQ UALI TY