Registration and identification by municipal authorities 6 7 8 9 To avoid gaps in the identification of statelessness, the research shows that the label “nationality unknown” should not be so readily attributed upon registration in the GBA without further examination. When it is attributed, efforts should be made to assess the individual’s nationality and to resolve it as quickly as possible. To ensure consistency and full recognition of status by all relevant authorities, registration in the GBA should be amended as necessary following any subsequent determination of status, whether of refugee status and/or statelessness or following the granting of another nationality. For instance, when someone is determined to be stateless, registration in the GBA should be amended from “nationality unknown” to “stateless”. The research indicates that it would be useful to develop guidelines on how the GBA should be amended to ensure changes in status are reflected in the GBA and to undertake appropriate training of relevant authorities to ensure implementation. To better assess the stateless population, statistics should be recorded and maintained in the GBA in a transparent manner and in such a way that they reflect the actual stateless population in the Netherlands and incorporate data by age, gender, origin and birth. Solutions for situations where the State of purported nationality fails to cooperate in return 10 11 12 To ensure early and correct identification of stateless persons, referral to a determination procedure should take place as early as possible, if the individual him- or herself claims to be stateless or this comes to light during the no-fault procedure. In such circumstances, they should be referred from this procedure to the statelessness determination procedure. To render the procedure accessible and effective, information should be provided by the IND to potentially stateless persons and legal advice bodies about the existence of such a statelessness determination procedure. Local authorities and other relevant bodies should also be informed about the procedure and their responsibilities. On human rights and humanitarian grounds and for the purposes of preventing statelessness in the medium and long-term, the no-fault procedure could continue to be available for persons not claiming to be stateless where the State of purported nationality refuses to cooperate in their return. in the Netherlands 61