because of their long-established ties to these countries. Based on existing international standards and State practice in the area of reduction of statelessness, such ties include long-term habitual residence or residence at the time of State succession. Depending on the circumstances of the populations under consideration, States might be advised to undertake targeted nationality campaigns or nationality verification efforts rather than statelessness determination procedures.42 26 59. Targeted nationality campaigns are undertaken with the objective of resolving the statelessness situation through the grant of nationality, rather than identifying persons as stateless to provide them with a status as such. A number of States have undertaken such nationality campaigns with regard to longstanding stateless populations in their territory, in some cases with the assistance of UNHCR. Even where States undertake nationality campaigns, it is still beneficial to establish statelessness determination procedures for stateless individuals who do not fall within the in situ population as the profile of stateless persons in a particular country may be mixed or may change over time. 60. Nationality verification procedures assist individuals in a territory where they have difficulties obtaining proof of their nationality status. Such procedures often involve an accessible, swift and straightforward process for documenting existing nationality, including the nationality of another State. 61. The procedural requirements of both nationality campaigns and nationality verification procedures will be similar to those used in statelessness determination procedures in practice, as they need to reflect the forms of evidence available in a country and the difficulties faced by applicants in proving their nationality status. Documentary evidence may sometimes be dispensed with and the sworn testimony of community members that an individual meets the relevant criteria under the nationality laws, such as birth in the territory or descent from a parent who was a national, may instead suffice. 42 Please see paragraph 50 of UNHCR, UNHCR Action to Address Statelessness: A Strategy Note, March 2010, http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4b9e0c3d2.html: … resources should not be dedicated to a formal determination of statelessness where a realistic, immediate goal is the acquisition, reacquisition or confirmation of nationality by such a population. This will usually be the case for those protracted situations in which an entire population has significant ties only with the State in which they are resident.

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