The Plight of the Rightless: Mapping and Understanding Statelessness in Tripoli-V1.3
simplified means of proof of lineage and nationality. This law will separate stateless cases
from the regimes of the current legislations, mainly nationality law and the 1951 Law of
Documenting Personal Status.
11. Under the same law, exempt all non-refugee stateless plaintiffs of court fees upon filing
any nationality or registration related lawsuits.
12. Reduce DNA testing costs for stateless individuals by increasing the number of subsidized
laboratories and developing medical expertise in governmental hospitals.
13. Raise awareness about the effectiveness and enforceability of the 1994 Naturalisation
Decree, and the irreversibility and binding character of State Council Decision 484 which
entitle the children of those naturalised in 1994 to be registered as Lebanese nationals.
14. Produce and promote a clear list and admissibility criteria for alternative documents to be
presented when birth or marriage certification and other similar proofs do not exist: school
certificates, medical records, vaccination booklets, employment documents, Mukhtar
reports, etc. These criteria shall be recognized by the judiciary as potential proof that will
contribute to the success of the case.
15. Develop in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, and General
Security, well articulated credibility indicators for testimonials whenever documents are
not available, such as specificity, efficiency and consistency of information. These
indicators will help reduce the risk of arbitration in the “power of appreciation” granted to
judges while deciding on sensitive cases such as statelessness.
16. Collect, organize and digitize data related to internal procedures within public
administrations involved with statelessness including but not limited to all relevant
circulars, decisions, instructions, and practices. This will make the data publicly available
and allow for more transparency and awareness in how stateless cases are being handled
at different stages whether within the Ministry of Interior or at the judiciary level.
17. Initiate 10-days national registration campaigns within a year or two where relevant
stakeholders will process, register, and document cases through a one stop shop located
in main cities around the country, and reaching out to outskirts and remote areas.
18. Setup a mobile legal clinic to raise awareness about registration and resolution of stateless
cases, and provide legal support at low or no cost. This legal clinic can be constituted of
intern lawyers and volunteers under the supervision of the Beirut and Tripoli Bar
Associations, and potentially in collaboration with law departments in prominent
universities.
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