Syrian Citizenship Disappeared 4.2.15. Barriers of Access to Education in Countries of Asylum Syrian Kurds stateless refugees encountered two main obstacles to access education in the countries they had fled to. First, they had to prove their affiliation to Syria, which was especially arduous for the maktumeen. Second, in the absence of diplomas granted by the Syrian government, stateless Kurds were not able to prove their completion of study levels. Students STJ has been able to contact told us In Sweden, for instance, in order to pursue their studies, they had to undergo an assessment of their skills and qualifications by employees, in addition to exams. In some cases, even after stateless aspiring students willing to enrol in university passed the Högskoleprovet, the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test required to compete for a place at university, they ware barred from registering in universities, unable to provide their high school certificates95 One of our witnesses, Ismael Ismael96, recounts the impacts of being a maktum when migrating from Syria. He decided to travel to Europe when his university, Salahaddin University, in Syrian Kurdistan, informed him that he would not receive a diploma. Unlike other refugees, he possessed no documents confirming his identity and on his way, he was halted in Bulgaria for six months trying to convince the authorities he was a Syrian refugee. Once in Germany, he had to wait a while until the authorities investigated his legal status. The same thing happened when he tried to enrol in university as he didn’t have any proofs except the Health Institute’s score sheets, which could easily be forged, so he was delayed. 3.15. The right to Employment 1- Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. 2- Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. 3- Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. Article 23 Universal Declaration of Human Rights The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right to work, which includes the right of everyone to the opportunity to gain his living by work which he freely chooses or accepts, and will take appropriate steps to safeguard this right. Article 6 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights The State guarantees every citizen’s right to work in order to secure for himself a standard of living that meets the basic requirements of life. Article 30 Arab Charter on Human rights The right to work comprises an array of rights for the citizens, and duties for the states. 95 “Syrian Maktumeen Face Troubles Proving University Education” Radio Sweden, April 16, 2018, (last update August 6, 2018), https://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel. aspx?programid=2494&artikel=6931731 96 He was born in Qamishli in 1990, he graduated from the Health Institute located in al-Hasakah. The interview was conducted via the Internet on July 26, 2018. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Arab Charter on Human Rights provide for the right to work, and were all ratified by Syria. By depriving a peculiar fringe of Syrians from their nationality, however, Syria has dissociated itself from its obligation as a state to guarantee the right to work to its citizens. 31