Preventing and Reducing Statelessness inside Syria Preventing and Reducing Statelessness inside Syria Addressing Pre-Conflict Situations of Statelessness Syria is home to some historically stateless populations, including certain Kurdish populations, long-staying stateless migrants from other countries in the region, such as the bidoon, and individuals who may have become stateless due to the inability to acquire nationality from their mothers under the law. Kurds registered in Syria’s 1962 Census have the status of “ajanib”. Kurds who did not register in the 1962 Census are designated as “maktoumeen”. While both groups are considered non-nationals, the ajanib became eligible to apply for Syrian nationality in 2011. In 2011, the adoption of Decree 49 in Syria successfully facilitated the reacquisition of nationality for thousands, representing the largest single reduction of statelessness in the world for that year.18 In 2013, UNHCR provided technical support for an assessment carried out by Rehabilitation Education and Community Health (REACH) and the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) to assess how many stateless Kurds displaced to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) were able to successfully complete the procedure of applying for nationality prior to departing Syria. The assessment found that 98 per cent of those who applied for Syrian citizenship under Decree 49 acquired nationality within three months of applying.19 By mid-2013, 104,000 stateless individuals acquired nationality through the implementation of Decree 49.20 However, the rise of conflict and insecurity in 2012 have made the process of applying for Syrian nationality more difficult, as both freedom of movement and government services are increasingly disrupted. In addition, many stateless Kurds were forcibly displaced from Syria prior to applying for Syrian nationality, while others remain ineligible for Syrian citizenship because they did not register in Syria’s 1962 Census. Syria’s past progress in resolving statelessness notwithstanding, renewed attention is now needed to ensure that solutions are identified for any residual situations of statelessness in the country, as those lacking a nationality are now likely to find daily life and survival even more difficult. Preventing Statelessness and Enhancing Protection Within Syria, the conflict is also endangering the protection and legal identity of those who are Syrian nationals. In 2015, the Whole of Syria (WoS) Protection Needs Overview identified the lack of civil status documentation as a leading concern for conflict-affected and internally displaced families, with 91 per cent of sub-districts identifying it as one of top three protection issues, and with more than a third identifying it as a primary protection concern.21 In 2011, half of all stateless people in the world who acquired nationality were in Syria. 18 See UNHCR, UNHCR Global Trends 2011: A Year of Crises, 18 June 2012, at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4fdeccbe2.html. This survey was conducted in Domiz Camp, located in Dohuk Governorate, in July 2013, and covered 393 families comprising 1,974 individuals. It found that of 544 ajanib who applied for citizenship, 531 were granted citizenship. A small group of those surveyed did not attempt to reacquire citizenship. REACH/ACTED, July 2013. 20 UNHCR, Global Report 2012 – Syrian Arab Republic, 19 June 2013, at: http://www.unhcr.org/51b1d63cb.html. 21 The 2015 Protection Needs Overview uses the term “civil status documentation” to refer to identity cards as well as vital events registration documentation (certificates of birth, marriage, divorce, and death). Whole of Syria Protection Sector, 2015 Protection Needs Overview, October 2015, at: http://hno-syria.org/WoS%20Protection%20Needs%20Overview%202015%20-%20Not%20protected.pdf. 19 11