Registering and Documenting Each Syrian Refugee Child Syrian children born in Lebanon. In 2015, Lebanon’s Personal Status Department provided clarifications to its local offices to facilitate birth registration for Syrians in the country. These measures significantly increased access to birth registration by reducing the need for a range of documents required to complete the procedure. separation, divorce or death of the husband. Religious courts and authorities serving the camps also assist with ratifying and legalizing marriages that were initially undertaken informally (known as “urfi” marriages), while also counselling individuals and families to deter child marriage. It is notable that 98 per cent of Syrian babies born in Lebanon have received the medial birth notification document. This ensures that children hold the minimum level of documentation needed to initiate the birth registration process at a later date. It also ensures that newborn children have some immediate evidence of their age, identity and parentage while efforts are underway to complete the official birth registration procedure. 12 times as many birth certificates were issued in 2015 than in 2013 to children born in camp in Jordan. Turkey is notable for having a national legal framework closely aligned with international standards, guaranteeing all children born in the country the right to be registered at birth. In October 2015, the government issued a circular to simplify the requirements for registering children born out of wedlock. Also, under Turkish law, the civil registration authorities are authorised to recognise identity documents issued by the asylum authorities to conduct official marriages, a critical measure in view of the fact that many refugees lack valid identity documentation from Syria due to its loss or expiration.36 Building on the protective elements of the national legal framework, UNHCR engages with local authorities to support full and consistent implementation of the relevant laws. Jordan’s courts have instituted evidentiary rules to ease the process of ratifying undocumented marriages on the basis of witness statements, and the documentary requirements for registering new births have also been eased. Under Jordan’s Personal Status Law, only original identity documents or notarized copies are accepted to register new births. Noting that many refugees no longer possess their original identity documents, the government has established a policy of accepting photocopies of prerequisite documents, vastly increasing access to birth registration in the process. These measures have brought a 12 fold increase in the number of refugee children born in camps received birth certificates in 2015, (3,645 total) in comparison to 2013 (295 total). In Jordan, the government and UNHCR partnered to establish dedicated civil registration offices in the country’s two largest camps, Zaatari and Azraq, along with mobile registration for the Emirati Jordanian Camp (EJC) to ensure the regular issuance of birth certificates for all children born in camps. Fines for late birth registration have also been waived for refugees, and Jordan’s Civil Status Department issued internal instructions to facilitate the issuance of birth certificates for all Syrian refugee children born in the country. The government also established official courts presiding over family law issues and mobile judicial services for all camps to improve access to official marriage registration. This is a key protection measure which facilitates the prompt registration of new births, while also strengthening women’s rights to property, child custody, alimony inheritance, and lawful remarriage in case of A Syrian refugee child in Jordan has just received his birth certificate. Photo: UNHCR / Christopher Herwig 36 See, UNHCR, Protecting and Supporting the Displaced in Syria - UNHCR Syria End of Year Report 2015, February 2016, at: http://www.refworld. org/docid/56cac3254.html. 16