Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... 4
Part I: Regional Historical Overview & Background .............................................. 6
1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 6
1.2 Citizenship in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ....................... 7
1.3 The disintegration of the former SFRY: nationality, state succession and the risk of
statelessness 1991-1995 ................................................................................................. 7
1.4 Loss of birth registration and personal documentation in the region due to the 1999
Kosovo conflict .............................................................................................................. 9
1.5 Montenegro’s independence and Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence by
the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo…………………………..9
Part II: Implementation of International Law in National Legal Frameworks within
the Region ................................................................................................................... 10
2.1 The Legal Framework for the Protection of Stateless Persons .............................. 10
2.1.1 International Framework protecting Stateless Persons ....................................... 10
2.1.2 National Framework for Protection of Stateless Persons in South Eastern Europe
………………………………………………………………………………………..11
Bosnia and Herzegovina ...................................................................................... 12
Croatia .................................................................................................................. 12
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia..................................................... 13
Montenegro .......................................................................................................... 13
Serbia ................................................................................................................... 14
2.2 The Legal Framework for the Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness:
Implementation of International Law and in National and Administrative Practices . 14
2.2.1 Citizenship policies following state succession .................................................. 16
Bosnia and Herzegovina ...................................................................................... 16
Croatia .................................................................................................................. 17
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia..................................................... 18
Montenegro .......................................................................................................... 19
Serbia ................................................................................................................... 21
2.2.2 Acquisition of Citizenship - Prevention of Statelessness at Birth ...................... 22
2.2.3 Loss Renunciation and deprivation of nationality……………………………...23
Part III: Birth Registration, Personal Documentation and Citizenship: The Risk of
Statelessness among Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities ......................... 24
3.1 Background ............................................................................................................ 24
3.2 Problems and Solutions.......................................................................................... 25
3.3 Birth Registration – national standards .................................................................. 26
3.4 Birth Registration Procedure and the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian Communities
2