CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 2. METHODOLOGY 7 3. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT 8 3.1 MIGRANTS EXPLOITED IN THE LABOUR SYSTEM 9 3.2 GUKURAHUNDI MASSACRES 10 3.3 PROOF OF NATIONALITY AND BIRTH REGISTRATION 10 3.4 DISCRIMINATORY AND ARBITRARY LAWS 11 4. MIGRATION AND STATELESSNESS 12 4.1 PRE-INDEPENDENCE MIGRATION 12 4.2 “ALIENS” DEPRIVED OF NATIONALITY 13 5. GUKURAHUNDI AND STATELESSNESS 16 5.1 STATE-SANCTIONED VIOLENCE 16 6. ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIERS 17 6.1 BIRTH REGISTRATION AT THE HEART OF IDENTITY 17 6.2 PROHIBITIVE DISTANCE TO REGISTRATION OFFICES 19 6.3 TREATMENT AT REGISTRATION OFFICES 19 6.4 BUREAUCRATIC FAILURES LEAD TO DENIAL OF CITIZENSHIP 20 7. CHILDREN AT RISK OF STATELESSNESS 22 8. INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK 25 8.1 INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS 25 8.2 INTERNATIONAL CONVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS 25 8.3 AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS 26 8.4 AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE CHILD 27 8.5 UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 27 9. NATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK 28 WE ARE LIKE “STRAY ANIMALS” THOUSANDS LIVING ON THE MARGINS DUE TO STATELESSNESS IN ZIMBABWE Amnesty International 3