18 Preventing Statelessness Among Migrants and Refugees For those who are migrants or refugees in other countries, these challenges are even more grave. As documented by previous research by AUC, those of mixed parentage, or believed by the Ethiopian embassy to be of Eritrean origin, have found themselves unable to gain recognition from either Eritrea or Ethiopia.62 Among those states whose nationals were interviewed in Morocco, all apart from Nigeria share procedures with a family likeness based on the francophone civil law model. None discriminates on the basis of gender in their nationality codes, although Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Senegal all provide for distinctions between those born in and out of wedlock in relation to proof of descent; for those born out of wedlock, descent must be established during the child’s minority.63 The nationality codes provide that facts related to place of birth and identity of parents are only recognised if established through civil registration. In case of children born outside the country, the births must be declared to the consular authorities following registration in the country of birth. In Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire, there is a provision that birth registration in the country of birth may also be relied upon, and all permit registration of civil status events directly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if there is no consular representation in the country of birth; or, in the case of Cameroon, within a year of returning to the country.64 Research Findings Birth Registration in Egypt and Morocco Egypt and Morocco have long-standing identification and civil registration systems, with high rates of birth registration. Yet many migrants and refugees interviewed for this research struggled to register the births of their children, in either country. The principal obstacles faced by parents seeking to register the births of their children were similar in both countries, but with important variations. Generally, access to birth registration was easier in Morocco (despite the lower reported percentage of births registered). Among the most difficult challenges faced in both countries was the question of access to consular authorities to replace identity documents of parents, or to register the births of children. Louise Thomas, ‘Refugees and Asylum Seekers from Mixed Eritrean-Ethiopian Families in Cairo’, Centre for Forced Migration and Refugee Studies, American University in Cairo, 2006; see also Eirwen-Jane Pierrot, ‘A Responsibility to Protect: UNHCR and statelessness in Egypt’, UNHCR, January 2013. 63 Loi n° 1968-LF-3 du 11 juin 1968 portant Code de la nationalité camerounaise, art 14; Loi nº 61-415 du 14 décembre 1961 portant Code de la Nationalité ivoirienne telle que modifiée jusqu’à 2013, art.9; Mali Loi N° 2011–087 du 30 Décembre 2011 portant Code des personnes et de la famille, art 229; Loi n° 61-10 du 7 mars 1961 portant Code de la nationalité sénégalaise, modifié 2013, art. 6. 64 Cameroun, Ordonnance n° 81/002 du 29 juin 1981 portant organisation de l’état civil et diverses dispositions relatives à l’état des personnes physiques, telle que modifié et complété par la Loi N° 2011/011 du 6 mai 2011, arts. 5 and 6; Côte d’Ivoire Loi n° 64-374 du 7 octobre 1964, relative à l’État civil, modifiée par la loi n° 83-799 du 2 aout 1983; Senegal Loi n°72-61 du 12 juin 1972 portant Code de la Famille, modifiée 1999, art 44. 62