Back to Contents COI for a number of questions was not found, but it is important to note that information gaps related to statelessness should not be regarded as confirmation that an issue does not exist. As noted in a COI research guide produced by ARC Foundation and Asylos, “plenty of things happen but do not make it into the world of information that is accessible to you”.23 As stateless people do not have legal status, they lack visibility in societies and are often excluded from formal registration and documentation processes and from access to institutions and public services. This means their lives are not counted and recorded in the same ways, or to the same extent, as citizens of a country. Furthermore, the marginalisation that stateless groups often experience within societies may mean that there is a lack of information about them, or certain aspects of their experience. Information on the following research questions was not found in the sources consulted during the research timeframe: 7.3 Are stateless Palestinian children disproportionately exposed to exploitation and other types of harm such as physical violence, sexual abuse etc? [While no information was found indicating whether Palestinian children experienced comparatively more exposure to harm than Lebanese children, information on Palestinian children’s exposure to harm more generally was found and included in the report]. 14.8 Is there any additional penalty eg. deportation for stateless Palestinians who committed offences, in Lebanon or outside of Lebanon? 15.2 Do stateless Palestinians experience any forms of reprisals as a result of gathering/protesting/gathering a public profile for speaking on a political issue? Disclaimers We want to emphasise that early on in this research project, Walaal Kayyal, a member of the Steering Committee with firsthand experience of the issue of statelessness, provided insightful information. After discussing with the other committee members and determining that there was no opposition, it was decided to include her testimony and allow her to continue serving on the committee. We must also recognise that in failing to publish versions of this report in accessible formats (such as easy read, Braille, and audio versions) we exclude many persons with disabilities from reading it and making use of its content, which is inconsistent with the inclusive principles our Disability COI research was based upon. Unfortunately, we lacked the resources to make this undertaking and came to the view that it would still be of benefit to publish it in its current form for use as evidence in refugee status determinations. Please note that as authors of this report we are not legally accredited nor “experts” in the matters we research and so cannot be classified as expert witnesses. We compile primary and secondary information to address certain countryspecific questions, but we do not provide an assessment or analysis of the data. Similarly, we do not provide legal advice. The report was researched, written and edited by Asylos’ staff and its network of volunteer researchers. The Country of Origin Information (COI) presented is illustrative, but not exhaustive of the information available in the public domain, nor is it determinative of any individual human rights or asylum claim. All sources are publicly available and a direct hyperlink has been provided for each. In addition to assisting further research, the list of sources and databases consulted and provided below will enable source assessments. For more information about our research methodology, please consult Appendix A Methodology of this report. This document is intended to be used as a tool to help to identify relevant COI and the COI referred to in this report can be considered by decision-makers in assessing protection applications and appeals. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, the authors accept no responsibility for any errors included in this report. 23 ARC Foundation & Asylos, Country of Origin Information (COI): Evidencing asylum claims in the UK, 2020 Explanatory note 11