SEEKING NATIONALITY THE JUDICIAL ODYSSEY OF APPLICANTS ∫ Ottoman Citizens: Every person residing in the Ottoman Empire territory that included Lebanon was considered an Ottoman subject pursuant to the Ottoman Nationality Law of 1869, unless the person has a foreign nationality. ∫ Prior Approval to Marriage by the General Directorate of General Security (GDGS): Prior approval by the GDGS is required for the marriage of Lebanese Muslim or Druze men to non-Lebanese women. The related religious courts request the prior approval when the marriage is to be concluded or to be confirmed thereafter. ∫ Proof of Kinship: is a ruling issued by the religious courts that proves the filiation of the child to the parents (or one parent) who have acknowledged their filiation to him/her and/or the presumption of parenthood. Proof of kinship is issued by civil courts in cases of a civil marriage. ∫ Proof of Marriage: is a ruling issued by the religious courts that confirms that the marriage in question is religiously legal. This ruling is requested when the actual marriage is concluded outside the religious court at a previous date. ∫ Register of Lebanese Emigrants: is the register of emigrants of Lebanese origin who were registered as such during the 1932 census. ∫ Register of Foreigners: is a register established under the 1932 census for persons who were in Lebanon and had a foreign nationality when the census was conducted. Today, this register is used only to register foreign women married to Lebanese men before they acquire the Lebanese nationality by marriage. ∫ Register of Residents: is the register for the Lebanese nationals established under the 1932 census for the Lebanese. ∫ Right of Option: under the Peace Treaty of Lausanne (July 1923) between Turkey, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Greece, Romania and the Sorbo-Croat-Slovene state, under which the Ottoman Empire was dissolved and the citizens who were living in territories under its rule automatically became citizens of the newly established States and, as a result, were no longer considered Turkish citizens. Decision No. 2825 of August 3, 1924, gave individuals above the age of 18 living in Lebanon two years to opt to choose the Turkish nationality or the Lebanese nationality. Similarly, individuals above the age of 18 habitually residing in territories detached from Turkey with a population majority of different origins could to choose the nationality of the State in which the majority of the population is of their same origin on condition the newly chosen State accept to grant them its nationality. The right of option of the Lebanese nationality remained open until late 1950s. ∫ Stateless Person: is a person who is not considered as a national by any state under the operation of its law. Therefore, a stateless person is someone that today does not hold an effective nationality and is not registered in the Civil Status Records of any country. ∫ “Under-Study” Residence Permit (Qaid adDars): are residency permits given to people who were accounted for in the 1932 census as people “without a nationality” and were given “undefined nationality” residency cards. This residency was replaced in 1962 by “under-study” residency cards. Since 1962, this residency permit is not inclusive to those censured in 1932 but was open to others mainly to ethnic groups who fled their countries in the 40s and 50s onward. “Under Study” means the authorities is studying the nationality of the holders of these permits. ∫ 1932 Census: The 1932 Census is a national population census. Based on the result of the census, separate residents’ registers were created (such as Lebanese and non-Lebanese, expatriates, persons without a nationality). SEEKING NATIONALITY | GLOSSARY FRONTIERS RIGHTS 16