THEMATIC BRIEFING | SEPTEMBER 2021 Statelessness determination and protection in Europe 31 • Issue identity and travel documents to all stateless people and guarantee the right to work, education, family reunification, healthcare, accommodation, and social security in line with nationals, as well as the right to vote. • States must ensure that procedures for renunciation of nationality are in line with international law and best practice, including guaranteeing that renunciation is only accepted after receiving a written assurance from the relevant State that the person has another nationality and facilitating reacquisition of nationality if statelessness arises after renunciation. Provide specialised training on statelessness and nationality rights and ensure cooperation between relevant public authorities 3 • Ensure that relevant competent authorities have the necessary expertise, guidance, and resources to effectively identify and assess statelessness and nationality issues. • Facilitate and evaluate regular training on statelessness and nationality rights for public authorities and others who may encounter stateless people, including government bodies, lawyers, and the judiciary. • Facilitate cooperation between public authorities who may encounter stateless people and introduce cross-referral mechanisms between asylum, detention, and statelessness determination procedures. Ensure that stateless migrants and refugees have an accessible route to naturalisation to resolve their statelessness 4 • Expedite naturalisation procedures for stateless people, providing preferential treatment compared to the general rules for foreign nationals. • Exempt stateless people from requirements such as citizenship or integration tests, language testing, application fees, or minimum income or documentation requirements, particularly those they cannot meet due to the nature of their statelessness. • Ensure that previous criminal convictions or ‘good character’ requirements do not unreasonably prevent stateless people from acquiring a nationality.