Challenges for forcibly displaced and stateless persons to access birth registration Forcibly displaced and stateless persons face a range of challenges in registering the birth of their children. For refugees, this may include challenges in registering and retaining a birth certificate for children born prior to the arrival in the country of asylum (in the country of origin or transit), and/or challenges in registering the birth of children born in the country of asylum. a. Disruption of birth registration services. Conflict often disrupts birth registration services, and may make it difficult for families to register the birth of their children. It may be unsafe for families to travel to birth registration services, or they may lack the required documents to register the birth. In settings where non-state actors have de facto control of certain areas of a country, they may issue birth certificates that are not considered as valid by the recognized authorities of the country and/or internationally, which can potentially raise protection risks.17 b. Loss of birth certificates. Birth certificates may be destroyed, confiscated, left behind or lost during conflict and flight. Forcibly displaced and/or stateless persons may find it not possible or unsafe to access the birth registration services to obtain replacements. c. Lack of access to birth registration services. In some countries, asylum-seekers, refugees and/or stateless persons are barred by law or policy from registering births Even where allowed, forcibly displaced and stateless persons often face difficulties accessing civil registration services due to location of and distance to the services and/or costs. 17 They may be subject to limitations on their freedom of movement, such as mandatory confinement to camps, while those living outside camps may face risks of detention or other penalties when travelling to birth registration sites. In some contexts, IDPs are required to return to their original place of residence or domicile for the purposes of birth registration, which may not be possible due to security, fear and/or financial reasons. Costs, whether direct (e.g. late fees) or indirect (including transportation costs, expenses associated with obtaining and translating prerequisite documentation, and costs with obtaining legal aid, where necessary), language barriers, illiteracy and unfamiliarity with the requirements and procedures may also hinder forcibly displaced and stateless persons from approaching civil registration authorities or understanding the necessary procedures. Additionally, the lack of knowledge of civil registrars as to forcibly displaced and stateless persons’ rights, coupled with possible discriminatory practices, can make birth registration inaccessible. d. Procedural complexity. In some countries, birth registration involves multiple steps, creating barriers for all, but disproportionally affecting forcibly displaced and stateless persons as a result of factors such as indirect costs, movement limitations and/or language barriers. This often results in forcibly displaced and stateless families being unable to complete the birth registration process, leaving their children without access to birth Being found in the possession of documentation issued by non-state parties to an armed conflict can raise risks of persecution, based on imputed affiliation with such groups. Birth registration of forcibly displaced and stateless persons 9