WEBINAR: Improving identification of statelessness in asylum registration and screening

Events
Online
8 March 2023 13:00 - 13:45 CET

The first event in our #StatelessJourneys webinar series on Identifying and Addressing Statelessness in the Refugee Context. The webinar from 8 March focussed on how to identify (risk of) statelessness during the asylum procedure, and why this is important.

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Webinar overview

This webinar will focus on how frontline refugee responders can identify (risk of) statelessness during the asylum procedure, tools for responding to, recording and referring cases of statelessness, and offer an introduction to what needs to change at the policy and operational level.

The failure to identify statelessness within the context of forced migration can put people at risk and cause serious human rights violations. People may have experienced persecution or have been unable to avail themselves of state protection because of their statelessness, meaning identifying statelessness is critical to determining international protection needs.

Failure to identify statelessness can also negatively impact proper determination of the refugee claim, as well as lead to difficulties for stateless persons to access family reunification and naturalization, and where their international protection claim is not accepted, could result in them being trapped in limbo and subject to arbitrary and protracted detention with no prospect of removal as no state recognizes them as a national.

These risks must be addressed through improved guidance on identifying the risk of statelessness and clear referral systems between asylum and statelessness determination procedures.

Registration and Screening (statelessjourneys.org)

Agenda

13:00-13:05 Welcome

13:05-13:20 Presentation by Zoe Gardner – Policy & Research Manager, ENS

ENS will present on its newly-published briefing tool on asylum registration and screening

13:20-13:35 Presentation on EUAA

An overview of EUAA’s work in supporting EU Member States with asylum registration, and an introduction to using its guidance to identify and address statelessness.

13:35-13:45 Q&A & closing remarks

Who is this webinar aimed at?

This webinar is aimed at anyone working within the refugee or asylum context, whether from government or civil society, including community representatives. It will be particularly relevant for first responders at the borders and those involved in refugee registration, reception and screening procedures.

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Speaker

Zoe

Zoe Gardner

Policy and Research Manager, European Network on Statelessness (ENS)

About the Series

Many frontline refugee practitioners have limited awareness of statelessness or how to identify or adequately assist stateless persons with issues relating to lack of nationality.

The Stateless Journeys campaign and website was launched by ENS in late 2022, to build awareness around how statelessness plays out in refugee communities. We have launched eight short briefings relating to various aspects of (risk of) statelessness, designed to increase awareness particularly amongst frontline practitioners on how to respond adequately. These are available in 10 different languages.

This series of 4 short webinars from March to May 2023 will offer an introduction to refugee practitioners on issues covered in the briefing tools and build awareness around addressing statelessness.

Topics

Improving identification of statelessness in asylum registration and screening

The failure to identify statelessness and protect stateless people can put people at risk and cause serious human rights violations. This webinar will focus on how to identify (risk of) statelessness during the asylum procedure, and why this is important.

Registration and Screening (statelessjourneys.org)

Children’s right to a nationality and birth registration

A child who is not considered a national of any country is often unable to access other rights, like education, welfare benefits, and healthcare. This webinar aims to build practical awareness of how to recognise this and ensure refugee children are protected against statelessness.

Children's Rights to a Nationality (statelessjourneys.org)

Birth Registration (statelessjourneys.org)

Improving determination of statelessness in the refugee context

Stateless refugees may often end up being subject to poor reception conditions for prolonged periods due to their statelessness not being identified early on. A lack of standardised procedures for identifying statelessness throughout the refugee status determination procedure can negatively impact on refugee status determination and/or result in other harmful impacts for stateless people.

Reception and Status Determination (statelessjourneys.org)

Detention and return - protecting the rights of stateless people

Stateless people refused asylum can end up spending prolonged periods of time unlawfully detained because they have no country to which they can be returned. This can be avoided by knowing how to recognize and follow up on cases where someone is without nationality.

Detention and Return (statelessjourneys.org)

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