11. UNHCR estimates there to be 12,017 stateless persons in Germany in 2016.18 This figure relies on the
data of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge - BAMF)
and its Central Register of Aliens (Ausländerzentralregisters - AZR). In 2011, 11,298 people self-identified
as being stateless during the first national census after Germany´s reunification.19 More data on stateless
individuals in the country between the years 1967 and 201620 is provided by the GENESIS Online
Datenbank.21 Genesis provides insights on, for example, the number of stateless people that were
granted nationality based upon article 2 of the Convention on Reduction of Statelessness (foundlings),22
article 8 on discretionary naturalisation (Ermessenseinbürgerung) and article 10 on claim to
naturalisation (Anspruchseinbürgerung) of the German Nationality Act.23 Further, this data distinguishes
between federal state and district levels, and disaggregates date by age, sex, length of stay and marital
status of stateless individuals. Stateless people are also listed in the statistics of foreigners in a direct and
indirect manner, in relation to data on the length of stay, type of residence permit, asylum and sex.24
Finally, both statistical themes (‘naturalisation of foreigners’ and ‘statistics of foreigners’) contain the
category ‘Unknown/ Not specified’ which may include within them, stateless people as well.
12. There is also some data on stateless refugees. The parliamentary inquiries (Kleine oder Große Anfrage)
of MPs to the German government have unearthed some information in this regard,25 which should be
looked at alongside the information published by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.26
However, there is no solid, structured and transparent data on this particular group. This gap in data is
further accentuated by a high number of individuals being recorded s having ‘unknown’ or ‘unspecified’
nationality. In 2015, 11,721 such persons were listed in the statistics of the Federal Office for Migration
and Refugees. In 2016, the number reported was 14,659.27 The lack of accuracy and correctness of the
data collected by the Central Register of Aliens has also been subject to recent criticism and concern.28
13. Against the above-mentioned background, it is difficult to determine the scale of the issue in Germany
and to monitor whether the country is complying with its international obligations to protect stateless
persons, and prevent and reduce statelessness.
18
The statistics indicate 11,917 stateless people in 2014 and 12,569 stateless individuals in 2015. UNHCR, ‘Population Statistics.
Persons of concern’ < http://popstats.unhcr.org./en/persons_of_concern
19 Further, the census counted 130 people with ‘unclear nationality‘, and 35,548 individuals ‘without indications’. Statistische Ämter
des Bundes und der Länder, ‘Bevölkerung nach Staat der Staatsangehörigkeit und Geschlecht für Gemeinden. Ergebnisse des
Zensus am 9. Mai 2011’ (10. April 2014) <https://www.destatis.de/DE/Methoden/Zensus_/ Downloads/2G_ Bevoelkerung
StaatsangehoerigkeitGeschlecht.zip;jsessionid=8D5B65AC5F90329D878D6D66135185F3.cae4?__blob=publicationFile
20 It should be noted that data between 1967 and 1989 only refer to former West Germany. In other cases, like naturalization, data
may only be available between 2000 and 2016.
21 GENESIS-Online Datenbank <https://www-genesis.destatis.de/genesis/online/data;jsessionid=A81B519B7B39EEC8B7EB6534E
B2AF1D9.tomcat_GO_1_3?Menu=Willkommen
GENESIS is the main database of the Statistische Bundesamt. Its data rely on the Central Register of Aliens (Ausländerzentralregisters
- AZR).
22 Code 12: Population > Code 125: Naturalisation of Foreigners > Code 12511: Naturalisation of Foreigners; §2 Ausführungsgesetz
zu dem Übereinkommen vom 30. August 1961 zur Verminderung der Staatenlosigkeit und zu dem Übereinkommen vom 13.
September 1973 zur Verringerung der Fälle von Staatenlosigkeit Gesetz zur Verminderung der Staatenlosigkeit (Gesetz zur
Verminderung der Staatenlosigkeit), BGBl 1977 I, 1101 [Implementing Law to the Convention of 30 August 1961 on the Reduction of
Statelessness and to the Convention of 13 September 1973 on the Reduction of Cases of Statelessness (Law on the Reduction of
Statelessness)].
23 Code 12: Population > Code 125: Naturalisation of Foreigners > Code 12511: Naturalisation of Foreigners; §8, §10 Abs 1, 3-7
Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz in der im Bundesgesetzblatt Teil III, Gliederungsnummer 102-1, veröffentlichten bereinigten Fassung,
zuletzt geändert durch Artikel 3 des Gesetzes vom 11.10.2016 (BGBl I 2016, 2218) [Nationality Act].
24 Code 12: Population > Code 12521: Statistics of foreigners.
25 Information is provided on the type of protection ground, average processing time, sex, and country of origin in Kleine Anfrage or
Große Anfrage on Asylstatistik. Bundestag, ‘Drucksachen‘ http://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/drucksachen/
26 Das Bundesamt in Zahlen; Geschäftsstatistik.
27 Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge, ‘Das Bundesamt in Zahlen 2016. Asyl, Migration und Integration‘ (2017) 19.
28 See eg Thomas Öchsner, ‘Große Lücken im Ausländer-Register‘ (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 4 August 2017)
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/asylpolitik-grosse-luecken-im-auslaender-register-1.3615716
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