Everything you need to know about statelessness

Using the UN Human Rights Special Procedures to address statelessness

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have not to date made as much use as they could of the United Nations (UN) Special Procedures to raise and…

Thoughts on Strategic Litigation: Can EU law prevent and reduce Roma statelessness in Europe?

The Court of Justice famous weighed in several years ago on the relevance of EU law to situations where EU citizens are made stateless (Case C-135/08…

The case of Zoja - I am no longer legally invisible, but I remain invisible in the eyes of the state where I was born and where I have lived for 34 years

There is no doubt that the procedure for determining the time and place of birth established by the Law on Amendments to the Law on Non-Contentious…

Legally Invisible in Serbia

Just outside the front door of their shack in an informal Roma settlement in central Belgrade, Serbia, 15-year-old Deni and his six brothers and…

CESCR’s recommendation – Serbia to ensure effective access to personal documents for Roma and displaced persons, and in the meantime to facilitate their access to economic, social and cultural rights

In May 2014, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights considered the Second Periodic Report of Serbia on the measures applied and…

The case of Valjbona and her children - lack of birth registration leaves many Roma children in a situation of undetermined nationality for an extended period of time

“Once I acquire nationality, my children will finally be able to go to the doctor’s when necessary and I will not have to pay for medicines. Nearby…

Abandoned by parents, neglected by the State

„...I just want to get an ID card, like other citizens, and then register the birth of my children. My greatest wish is that my children go to…

New Birth Registration Procedure – Impact on the Prevention of Statelessness in Serbia

In August 2012, a new court procedure for determination of date and place of birth was established in Serbia. It is intended for the persons who…

Out of Limbo: Promoting the right of stateless Roma people to a legal status in Italy

A significant proportion of Roma people originating from the Balkans and living in Italy are stateless or at risk of statelessness. In most cases…

Romani Minorities Caught in-between: Impeded Access to Citizenship and de facto Statelessness in the Post-Yugoslav Space

Since the 2004 and 2007 EU enlargements, Roma became the EU largest minority, but also continue to be one of the most vulnerable groups of citizens…

Prevention of statelessness at birth – adequate nationality law but inconsistent implementation

In December 2011, Serbia acceded to the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The Serbian Law on Citizenship had already been in accordance…

Legally Invisible, Fighting for Health Care

Vela does not officially exist. Although she has lived in Macedonia all her life, neither she nor her four children have access to health services.…