The Syrian Initiative to Combat Statelessness 74 I- The original criteria for granting nationality in Syrian legislation: It is clear that Syrian legislation relied on a set of basic criteria, i.e.: - Paternal filiation (jus sanguinis) as a primary requirement: In paragraph (b), the legislature decided that original nationality may be proven based on maternal filiation, however, backed by jus soli and only to children born out of wedlock. Therefore, a child born out of wedlock born to a Syrian mother is not considered Syrian if he/she was born outside Syria. Which means that being born to a Syrian mother does not grant the automatic acquisition of her nationality, except under certain conditions, i.e., the child should be illegitimate and born inside Syria. - Maternal filiation to be backed by jus soli proof and exceptional to the case of unproven paternal filiation: In paragraph (b), the legislature decided that original nationality may be proven based on maternal filiation, however, backed by jus soli and only to children born out of wedlock. Therefore, a child born out of wedlock born to a Syrian mother is not considered Syrian if he/she was born outside Syria. Which means that being born to a Syrian mother does not grant the automatic acquisition of her nationality, except under certain conditions, i.e., the child should be illegitimate and born inside Syria. - Jus soli for certain groups specified by law: The legislature adopted the jus soli principle as the primary basis to prove the original Syrian nationality of specific groups of children in an attempt to prevent statelessness. The groups are: - children born inside Syria to unknown parents (foundlings). - children born inside Syria to known parents of unknown nationality. - children born inside Syria to known parents, but they do not hold any nationality (stateless) at birth.55 55 Davis, Uri. “CITIZENSHIP LEGISLATION IN THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC.” Arab Studies Quarterly, vol. 18, no. 1, 1996, pp. 29–47. JSTOR,..