NORTH MACEDONIA There is no accurate data on the number of stateless people in Macedonia. The main causes of statelessness are the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, barriers to birth registration and unregulated civil status. The stateless and those most at risk of statelessness include persons of Roma, Albanian, Ashkaeli and Egyptian decent. Statelessness and the risk of statelessness disproportionality affects the Roma in the region who were minority citizens of the former Yugoslavia republic. As a result of the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the subsequent changes to citizenship laws, destruction of civil regisdisplacement in the 1990’s, the Roma were viewed as outsiders, excluded and discriminated against by the newly established territories. The Roma and other stateless communities live in poverty and are routinely marginalised. Barriers to civil registration, including poverty, lack of awareness and discriminatory attitudes statelessness, especially among the Roma5 as community perpetuating intolerance. The vulnerabilities of the stateless have been in this chapter were provided predominantly by Roma NGO ‘Bairska Svetlina’ operating in the southwest of North Macedonia. The information is therefore localised to the parameters of their operations. They cannot access state and huties accessing work, healthcare, education and civil registration services and are subjected to increased antigypsyism and related intolerance. do not have access to a sewer system. These poor conditions make them more susceptible to infection. Many Roma do not have access to or cannot PPE also increasing their risk of infection.6 RIGHT TO NATIONALITY, DOCUMENTATION AND LEGAL STATUS In February 2020, the Law on Unregistered Persons in the Birth Register was adopted, offering a solution for those who have been unable to obprovided for undocumented persons to submit applications within six months of the date of the adoption of the law (i.e. up until August 2020). Due to the pandemic, and the closure of services, this was not implemented and the institutions responsible for dealing with applications are still not equipped to register these people according to the law.7 EQUALITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION As a consequence of the pandemic, there has also been a rise in hate crimes and general intolerance towards stateless persons and the Roma community. During a three-month period in 2020, there were four recorded instances of hate crimes committed against members of the Roma community. On one occasion, victims were beaten by police, and in the other cases, THIS CHAPTER LOOKS MORE CLOSELY AT RIGHT TO NATIONALITY, DOCUMENTATION AND LEGAL STATUS; EQUALITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION; RIGHT TO HEALTH AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC RIGHTS,4 AND MAKES THE FOLLOWING CALL TO ACTION TO THE GOVERNMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS: of Bairska Svetlina was extensively damaged with vandals breaking the doors and windows their work with the Roma community. RIGHT TO HEALTH The healthcare system in North Macedonia has collapsed under the pressure of COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, stateless persons did not qualify for state healthcare, and this has generally remained the same throughout the pandemic. However, through Decree no. 92/20, the government declared that all persons that are not covered by health insurance will be able to receive health services in healthcare facilities related to the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 at the expense of the Health Insurance Fund of North Macedonia.8 The stateless and undocumented are further able to access private healthcare, however, the cost makes it inaccessible to most. North Macedonia has not yet been able to procure vaccines. Without an established vaccination campaign, the entire population, including the stateless remain vulnerable to contracting COVID-19. SOCIO-ECONOMIC RIGHTS Exclusion from Emergency Relief: On 18 March 2020, a state of emergency was declared. The of €160 million from the EU and €176 million from the International Monetary Fund.9 Coordination bodies have been set up in all municipalities and at state level, to facilitate humanitarian actions to help vulnerable citizens.10 The state also issued payment cards with which unemployed citizens could obtain groceries to the value of €150.11 However, stateless persons and those at risk of statelessness, who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 in the southwest of North Macedonia have been excluded from these initiatives, as access is dependent on the provision of IDs. The government has also proaffected by COVID-19, but these measures required access to a bank account, making them inaccessible to stateless persons who cannot open bank accounts without documentation. ENSURE THAT ALL STATELESS AND UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO VACCINES AND CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF COVID-19 VACCINATIONS. ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES FOR ALL STATELESS AND UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS. CREATE SPECIAL MEASURES TO ENSURE AN ECONOMIC SAFETY NET FOR THE ROMA COMMUNITY DURING COVID-19, INCLUDING THROUGH CREATING FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP. ENHANCE COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS AND OTHER ACTORS IN THE WESTERN BALKANS, TO FIND DURABLE REGIONAL SOLUTIONS AND APPROACHES TO STRENGTHENING NATIONALITY RIGHTS, DOCUMENTATION AND LEGAL STATUS OF ROMA PEOPLE. DEVELOP CAMPAIGNS TO COMBAT DISCRIMINATION AND HATE SPEECH AGAINST ROMA PEOPLE AND TO PENALISE THE INSTIGATORS OF HATE SPEECH. The Roma community in the southwest of the country has also not been adequately reached by humanitarian actors, further heightening their vulnerabilities. While some have received food and hygiene products from the UNDP and such support and no register of people entitled to such relief. Consequently, one household may receive several packages from different organisations while others do not receive any. The Roma communities, was OSF Macedonia, which provided hygiene packages and supplements to those affected by the pandemic. In cooperation with the Red Cross Skopje, by the end of 2020, 2,188 supplements were distributed to 11,000 Roma citizens.12 These packages were distributed to people who were legally recognised by cial assistance. They did not include stateless people and those without legal documentation. 51