amendments were accompanied by much training for civil servants in direct contacts with persons at risk of statelessness (including registrars, social workers, police officers, and judges). Moreover, the MoPALG and the Ombudsman made visits to informal settlements to identify the needs of RAE individuals and raise their awareness of options for birth registration. A comprehensive outreach campaign was also carried out. Some of this legislation constitutes examples of best practice. One such rule is the procedure for establishing date and place of birth, which has served as a model for a similar regulation in Montenegro (in 2015). The use of CSW may also be a good option for addressing the lack of registered residence. As part of its efforts to meet standards in the run-up to EU accession, Serbia has signed a Readmission Agreement that establish and regulate requirements and procedures for the repatriation of Serbian citizens or third-country nationals residing without permit in EU Member States. The Strategy for Reintegration of Returnees under the Readmission Agreement22 establishes a system for admitting and sheltering these individuals and envisages numerous activities to facilitate their reintegration into local communities. The Strategy recognises that many returnees will be Roma and sets out the key issues faced by this population upon their repatriation to Serbia, including access to personal documents. 6.2 Exercise of rights in theory and practice The above outlined activities have in recent years resulted in much progress towards eradicating and preventing statelessness in Serbia. MoU signatories have dealt with a variety of issues of relevance for effective implementation of regulations. The Office of the Ombudsman emphasises the importance of training for judges following amendments to the Law on Non-Contentious Procedure to acquaint them with new features of this piece of legislation. The Office of the Ombudsman reports a guide for judges has also been developed that explains all the steps required to establish a person’s date and place of birth. These activities are significant as it was necessary to raise awareness amongst those in direct contact with persons at risk of statelessness that this group is highly sensitive and often faces straitened economic circumstances. Training od civil servants seems to have dispelled their initial lack of understanding for the undocumented persons and helped promote co-operation between institutions, particularly at the local level. Even though human capacity has improved in recent years (as reported by both CSOs and local authorities), there still remains room for improvement, especially amongst local civil registrars and social workers. It is imperative that training for civil servants continue. The Operating Group, created under the 2019 MoU, has faced challenges in 2020 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, but the authorities claim the Group will continue offering trainings and undertaking other activities as soon as the public health situation allows. In recent years, the relevant line ministries have issued several opinions and guidelines to facilitate the application of rules, standardise practices, and remove ambiguities as to how to proceed in particular situations. The MoI and MoPALG underline that one objective for the future will be to identify any remaining 22 2009 Strategy for Reintegration of Returnees under the Readmission Agreement. PERSONS AT RISK OF STATELESSNESS IN SERBIA OVERVIEW OF CURRENT SITUATION AND THE WAY FORWARD 49