Statelessness and Access to Nationality
Statelessness remains a significant issue both globally and in Europe. The causes of statelessness are manifold, including complexities of conflicts in nationality laws, state succession, forced displacement, historical and contemporary migration, structural birth registration problems, access to nationality and related administrative practices.
The right to a nationality is reflected in numerous widely ratified international treaties and is considered a gateway to the enjoyment of a range of other rights. It also constitutes part of a person's social identity as highlighted by the European Court of Human Rights. Yet, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) latest estimates in 2022, there are some 442 000 stateless persons, including those with undetermined nationality living in Europe. The lack of nationality has a serious impact on their lives, their enjoyment of the full range of human rights, including access to education, employment, healthcare, housing, and freedom of movement.
The Council of Europe considers as a priority the need to ensure the effective enjoyment of human rights by the most vulnerable, including those faced with nationality and statelessness issues.
In the light of the conclusions of the international conference on “Statelessness and the right to a nationality in Europe: progress, challenges and opportunities” organised jointly with the UNHCR in 2021 and the Analysis of current practices and challenges regarding the avoidance and reduction of statelessness in Europe, the Council of Europe, through its European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ), will focus in 2024-2026 on issues relating to the statelessness of children and their access to nationality, and will develop guidance on child sensitive procedures in administrative and migration law matters for children who are stateless or at risk of being stateless as well as guidance on the establishment of nationality for children.
These activities will contribute to the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025) and the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022-2027).
- Terms of Reference of the CDCJ-MIG (2024-2026)
- Composition of the CDCJ-MIG
- CDCJ-MIG Working methods and workplan (2024-2026)
- Resolution CM/Res(2021)3 on intergovernmental committees and subordinate bodies, their terms of reference and working methods
1st meeting (30-31 May 2024)
Videoconference
- Draft agenda
- Draft list of participants
UNHCR and Council of Europe discuss statelessness, urge States to uphold the right to a nationality in Europe
Strengthening efforts to end statelessness in Europe and guarantee the provision of fundamental rights to everyone was the key theme of the events organised on 23-24 September in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe’s European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee...
Statelessness and the right to a nationality in Europe
An international conference jointly organised by the Council of Europe, through the European Committee on Legal Co-operation, and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will examine how member states in Europe can best address the problem of statelessness and foster opportunities to rally...
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