OBJECTIVE • • • • • • • • ROOT CAUSES • FINDINGS Simple Registration Cases: 63% of non-registered stateless individuals are born to a Lebanese father 76% of non-registered stateless individuals are born to a Lebanese mother 61% of stateless individuals mentioned the homeland/nation [watan] as their main determinant of their identity Causes of non-registration: 30% of the non-registered individuals were born to a father who was naturalised through the 1994 controversial decree 33% of non-registered cases due to family problems, more particularly to non-registration of parents’ marriages 30% of non-registered cases due to negligence 11% of non-registered cases due to financial issues RECOMMENDATIONS • • • • • • • • • Complex Nationality Cases: 22% are born to a stateless father (Maktoum Al Qayd) Causes of non-registration: Unavailable documents or difficulty in finding evidence in support of unknown nationality or ancestor belonging to Ottoman Empire with residency in Lebanon • • Initiate a draft law valid for a specific period of time which creates a special administrative process for resolving stateless cases without the need to resort to courts and sets up simplified means of proof of lineage and nationality. Exempt all non-refugee stateless plaintiffs of court fees upon filing any nationality or registration related lawsuits. Reduce DNA testing costs for stateless individuals by increasing the number of subsidized laboratories and developing medical expertise in governmental hospitals. Raise awareness about the effectiveness and enforceability of the 1994 Naturalisation Decree, and the irreversibility and binding character of State Council Decision 484 which entitles the children of those naturalised in 1994 to be registered as Lebanese nationals. Initiate 10-days national registration campaigns where relevant stakeholders will process, register, and document cases through decentralized one stop shops. Setup a mobile legal clinic to raise awareness about registration and resolution of stateless cases and provide legal support at low or no cost. Produce and promote a clear list and admissibility criteria for alternative documents to be presented when birth or marriage certification and other similar proofs do not exist. Develop in collaboration with the MOI, Ministry of Justice (MOJ), and General Security (GS), well-articulated credibility indicators for testimonials whenever documents are not available, such as specificity, efficiency and consistency of information. These indicators will help reduce the risk of arbitration in the “power of appreciation” granted to judges while deciding on sensitive cases such as statelessness. Facilitate a 10-year valid residency for difficult cases where proof of eligibility faces major obstacles due to death, physical impossibility, and other similar reasons. This could consist of the Laissez-Passer passport validated for 10 years, potentially at a discounted fee. 10