ineligible to apply under this system by virtue of their circumstances; noting that many stateless people do not have a birth certiFicate and are prohibited to living legally in Italy. The shortcomings of the administrative procedure were also emphasised by the individuals and organisations I met with on the Italian leg of my Churchill Fellowship. Judicial procedure: Statelessness determination may also occur through specialised sections of the applicant’s local Civil Court.cviii Unlike the administrative procedure, there is no need for the applicant to have a birth certificate or valid residence permit and the procedure lasts 1–2 years on average. However, applicants must be assisted by a lawyer and pay a €259 procedure fee.cix Applicants can apply for State funded legal aid which can cover both the procedure and lawyer fees.cx Applicants can also ask the judge to grant them a resident permit pending the outcome of the procedure.cxi Experts I met with in this stage of my Fellowship advised that the majority of applicants elected to go through the judicial (rather than administrative) procedure. Comparative Summary of Italy’s Two Statelessness Determination Procedures Administrative Procedure Judicial Procedure Birth Certificate required? Yes. No. Proof of legal residence in Italy required? Yes. No. Applicant can request residence permit pending outcome of the decision. Application fee? No. Yes: €259. Some legal aid available (by application) to cover fee. Interview required? No – all done on the paperwork. Can provide oral evidence and submissions. This can be challenging for stateless applicants with limited access to documentation and literacy skills, noting that many stateless people face difficulties in accessing education. Legal representation required? No. Yes. Average wait time for decision? 2-3 years 1-2 years Appeal rights? Yes. Yes. Some legal aid available. 56