CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS MINISTRY OF INTERIOR AND MUNICIPALITIES (MOIM) Short-term recommendations to simplify the lengthy and complicated civil registration process • Unify the criteria for granting ta’arif certificates to stateless persons, while instructing mukhtars to abide by present legislation and provide ta’arif certificates to any individual who qualifies as stateless of Lebanese origins. • Coordinate with other relevant ministries (Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Justice) and security agencies (GDGS, Internal Security Forces, Lebanese Armed Forces) to ensure that this ta’arif certificate is a nationally recognized and valid identification document. → Standardized ta’arif certificates are to be considered as a temporary alternative identification document granting stateless persons access to all basic services from the relevant ministry and authority. • Enforce a waiver of the renewal and overstay fees for the understudy cards paid annually at GDGS allowing all Qayd el Dars persons to obtain valid identification documents. → The financial cost of proceedings is a fundamental barrier preventing stateless persons in Lebanon from pursuing and finalizing their right to citizenship. Medium-term recommendations to prevent future statelessness • Proceed with a complete census of all stateless individuals on the Lebanese territory and issue proper documentation for stateless persons allowing them to have formal identity documents and ensure their access to basic rights. • Resort to digital case management tools to increase cooperation and efficiency among all relevant stakeholders, to serve as a work framework for the public administration, security services, local authorities and mukhtars when dealing with stateless persons and ensure transparency. • Provide continuous training and knowledge sharing with mukhtars on the different laws and regulations relevant to reducing and preventing statelessness. → MoIM is the relevant authority to pursue a full identification mapping of all stateless persons in Lebanon. It should make use of available digital resources in order to efficiently manage and solve all identified cases, without delay or discrimination. © 2021 Siren Associates. All Rights Reserved.