4. STATELESSNESS IN MALTA.........................................................................................46
4.1 A brief ‘history’ of statelessness in Malta...............................................................46
4.1.1 Census information..............................................................................................46
4.1.2 Data on stateless persons who have obtained Maltese citizenship....................47
4.2 Avenues of registration and identification of stateless persons...........................49
4.2.1 Birth registration...................................................................................................49
4.2.2 Arrangements in place for asylum seekers arriving irregularly.............................55
4.2.3 Arrangements in place for other asylum seekers, arriving regularly....................56
4.2.4 Foreign nationals marrying in Malta.....................................................................56
4.2.5 Foreign nationals residing long-term in Malta......................................................56
4.2.6 Un-returnable persons.........................................................................................57
4.3 Challenges facing stateless asylum seekers,
beneficiaries of protection and their family members.................................................57
4.3.1 Naturalisation.......................................................................................................57
4.3.2 Family members of refugees................................................................................59
4.3.3 Children of beneficiaries of protection.................................................................59
4.3.4 Children born in Malta to rejected asylum seekers..............................................62
4.4 Rights of stateless persons in Malta?......................................................................62
4.4.1 Lack of access to rights based on statelessness................................................62
4.4.2 Practical application of safeguard for children born stateless in Malta...............64
4.5 The face of statelessness in Malta...........................................................................66
4.6 Concluding remarks..................................................................................................67
5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. .............................................................70
5.1 Conclusions................................................................................................................70
5.2 Recommendations.....................................................................................................72
Participants interviewed......................................................................................................76
Stakeholders consulted.......................................................................................................76
BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................................77
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Mapping Statelessness in Malta