FOREWORD FOREWORD Over 10 million people are stateless worldwide, with a profound impact on countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. While MENA is home to several historically stateless populations, the region has substantially reduced the number of stateless persons in 2010 and 2011, respectively in Iraq and Syria. For stateless people, the lack of any nationality is not merely the lack of a legal status or document. It is a condition that deprives them of the basic rights that most of us take for granted. Addressing statelessness is a strategic priority for UNHCR both globally and in MENA, where conflict and instability have created new risks of statelessness. As the conflict in Syria enters its sixth year, the region hosts 4.8 million Syrian refugees, and 13.5 million persons in Syria itself remain in need of protection and assistance, including some 6.5 million internally displaced persons. In the midst of the crisis, stateless people may not even have documents to prove their identity, further compromising their daily survival and ability to find safety. Over 300,000 Syrian children have been born in exile since the onset of the crisis, beginning their lives as refugees. Displacement on this scale is characterised by increased family separation and gaps in birth registration, a situation that could leave displaced children with no means of proving their parentage or their Syrian nationality. Longstanding traditions in the region recognize the right of all children to belong, to enjoy their rights to family life and unity, and to have a name, a legal identity and a nationality. Governments, together with UNHCR and other partners, are bringing together all relevant sectors within the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) to uphold these principles and build a comprehensive response that safeguards the future of Syrian children and their families. Consistent with the global #I Belong Campaign to End Statelessness worldwide by 2024, this report highlights the good practices of States, civil society organisations and UN agencies in preventing and reducing statelessness in MENA, including in the specific context of Syrian displacement. Statelessness is a long-standing issue in the region, but one we can solve together if we act now and in concert. We should not let more people risk becoming stateless, nor wait to take action on helping those who are already stateless. Amin Awad DIRECTOR UNHCR Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa 3