REFUGEES FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION – PREVENTING STATELESSNESS BY
ADVANCING DURABLE SOLUTIONS IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION
1.
SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................... 1
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS.........................................................................................................................................................................4
TERMINOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................................................................5
2.
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY ............................................................................................................. 6
L EGAL PATHWAYS TO LOCAL INTEGRATION FOR LONG -TERM REFUGEES ......................................................................................................6
RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL LAW...............................................................................................................................................................7
COMMITMENTS MADE BY ICGLR MEMBER STATES ..................................................................................................................................9
O BJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................................................................... 11
3.
FINDINGS OF THE RESEARCH ..............................................................................................................12
GAPS IN NATIONAL LAWS CREATING RISKS OF STATELESSNESS ................................................................................................................. 12
Refugee registration and issue of identity documents ........................................................................................................ 13
Birth registration ........................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Acquisition of nationality by adult refugees .......................................................................................................................... 15
Acquisition of nationality by child ren ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Access to nationality fo r those born outside the country of the parent’s na tionality ................................................... 20
VIEWS OF REFUGEES............................................................................................................................................................................. 21
Country of strongest connection ............................................................................................................................................. 21
Access to identity documents .................................................................................................................................................. 22
Birth registration for adult refugees and their child ren ...................................................................................................... 23
Identity do cuments from country of o rigin and access to consular assistance ............................................................... 24
Greatest challenges ................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Preferred solutions..................................................................................................................................................................... 26
VIEWS OF HOST COMMUNITIES ............................................................................................................................................................. 28
Uganda ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 28
4.
CONCLUSION: RISKS OF STATELESSNESS AND DURABLE SOLUTIONS .........................................................30
5.
RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................................................33
ICGLR SECRETARIAT AND ALL ICGLR MEMBER STATES .......................................................................................................................... 33
Assessing and recording risks of statelessness ..................................................................................................................... 33
Facilitating acquisition of nationality ..................................................................................................................................... 33
Civil registration and identification documen ts.................................................................................................................... 34
Promoting durable solutions .................................................................................................................................................... 34
DRC.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Accession to treaties.................................................................................................................................................................. 34
Legal reform and interpretation .............................................................................................................................................. 34
Civil registration and identity documents .............................................................................................................................. 35
RWANDA ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 35
Legal reform and interpretation .............................................................................................................................................. 35
Civil registration and identity documents .............................................................................................................................. 35
UGANDA.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 35
Accession to treaties.................................................................................................................................................................. 35
Legal reform and interpretation .............................................................................................................................................. 35
Civil registration and identity documents .............................................................................................................................. 36
UNHCR .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 36
Civil registration and civil registry documentation .............................................................................................................. 36
Registration and refugee status determination ................................................................................................................... 37
Local integration including facilitated access to nationality o r other durable solutions .............................................. 37
Data collection ............................................................................................................................................................................ 37
ANNEX 1: METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................38
REFUGEE POPULATIONS CONSIDERED IN THE STUDY ............................................................................................................................... 38
Rwandan refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo ................................................................................................... 38