Table of Contents Executive Summary 5 1 Introduction 7 1.1 About Roma 1.2 About the project and methodology 8 9 2 3 4 5 6 Underlying Themes 11 2.1 Statelessness and discrimination – a mutually reinforcing cycle 2.2 Barriers to accessing justice 2.3 Bureaucratic challenges 11 13 14 Scope and Causes of Statelessness of Roma 17 3.1 Scope of Roma statelessness in the Western Balkans and Ukraine 3.2 Causes of Roma statelessness in the Western Balkans and Ukraine 17 20 International and regional obligations and frameworks 25 4.1 Relevant international and regional standards 4.2 Addressing Roma rights through European regional frameworks 25 26 Documentation and Civil Status 31 5.1 Birth Registration 5.2 Permanent Residence 5.3 Progress towards addressing documentation challenges 33 38 40 Marginalisation, Poverty and Exclusion 43 6.1 Marginalisation as a cause and consequence of statelessness 6.2 Responsibility and blame 6.3 Progress towards addressing documentation challenges 43 48 50 7 Conclusions 53 8 Recommendations 55 9 Acknowledgements 59 10 Bibliography 61 1