MAPPING OF THE POPULATION AT RISK OF STATELESSNESS IN ALBANIA Roma and Egyptian communities are facing a level of poverty estimated at three times higher than that other parts of the population in Albania, due to long-standing social exclusion. While Egyptians speak Albanian and tend to be generally more integrated than the Roma, and while the Roma have been recently recognized as a national minority6, they often suffer the same difficulties and ostracism. Within this report, when using the term Roma it should also be understood to include those referred to as Egyptian individuals. Furthermore, the term ‘Foreigners’ will be used rather than ‘Aliens’, as it is the term used in official translations. Shtetas and shtetësi (‘citizen’ and ‘citizenship’) are the legal terms used in Albania to describe the legal bond between the state (shtet) and an individual. They only refer to this bond and the mutual rights and obligations it implies, without any reference to ethnicity. According to Article 1 (paragraph 1) of the Law on Albanian Citizenship, “Albanian citizenship is a stable legal relationship which is expressed on the interrelated rights and duties between the physical person and the Albanian state”. The term shtetas is sometimes used interchangeably with the term qytetar (citizen), where the latter has additional civic and political connotations. The latter term derives from the word qytet (city) and although originally it was used to distinguish city dwellers from the others, the term qytetar now is usually used to describe all legal subjects of the political entity (state). There is also a distinction in between shtetasshqiptar (Albanian citizen) and shqiptar (Albanian), the first term referring to persons that have legal bonds with the Albanian state (regardless of their ethnic origin) and the second one referring to a person of Albanian ethnic origin. Lastly, the expression ‘at risk of being stateless’ refers to a situation where an individual is entitled to citizenship by law, but faces obstacles to having it confirmed in practice.7 1.2.2 Methodology used for this report The methodology of this research was devised to address the four objectives: a) identifying the personal and demographic information of persons at risk of stateless at the national level; b) providing visibility to the importance of preventing statelessness and offering information on its causes and consequences; c) developing adequate solutions and strategies for the identified group of cases, by providing direct services or case management reference and assistance; d) analysing and addressing the legal problems which require further legislative interventions and amendments. 6 Law No.96/2017 on the “Protection of National Minorities in the Republic of Albania” 7 For further references, see Hugh Massey ‘UNHCR and De Facto Statelessness’, in Legal and Protection Policy Research Series, 2010, available at http://www.unhcr.org/4bc2ddeb9.pdf” UNHCR - TLAS / May 2018 15