The UN Refugee Agency and Centrul de Drept al Avocaților (CDA) organizing a conference on “Actual problems in identifying stateless persons, reducing and preventing statelessness” on the 1st and 2nd of November 2023 in Chisinau.
National and international experts, representatives of central public authorities, and human rights defenders will join the two-day discussions, including representatives from UNHCR, the European Network on Statelessness (ENS), members of the Moldovan Parliament, representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, General Inspectorate for Migration, Public Services Agency, People’s Advocate, and president of Equality Council, as well as experts from civil society.
This event is taking place in the context of the #IBelong Campaign, launched by UNHCR in November 2014, with the aim of ending statelessness within ten years by identifying and protecting stateless persons, resolving existing statelessness situations, and preventing the emergence of new cases.
The timing of the conference also coincides with the entry into force of the amendments made on 8 June this year by the Moldovan Parliament to the Law on Citizenship, which excluded provisions whereby children born in the Republic of Moldova whose parents did not have the right of residence were at risk of becoming stateless from birth.
Attending the event, State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Jana Costachi, said that the good practices existing in the Republic of Moldova in the field of statelessness are internationally recognized and that the authorities are still planning actions to prevent and reduce statelessness. Thus, on the IGM’s immediate agenda is to assess the situation of stateless persons, to establish a dialogue with them and then to provide them with the services and assistance they need.
“UNHCR is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to identify and protect stateless persons and to prevent and reduce statelessness” said Bertrand Blanc, UNHCR Deputy Representative in the Republic of Moldova. “UNHCR fulfils its mandate by working with the Government of the Republic of Moldova, other UN agencies, and civil society. We have witnessed positive advancement in the Moldovan legislations that are aimed to reduce and eliminate statelessness in the country”.
CDA has extensive expertise in the field of asylum and statelessness, and it has a long-term commitment to addressing statelessness in the Republic of Moldova, the possibility of preventing and reducing statelessness, and respect for the rights of stateless persons and persons at risk of statelessness.
“Statelessness can be avoided or reduced by granting citizenship,” stressed CDA Executive Director Oleg Palii. “The right to citizenship is one of the fundamental human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments. The Republic of Moldova, by acceding to these international instruments, has assumed the obligation to take action to reduce and avoid statelessness” Oleg Palii added.
According to official information, as of 30.06.2023, there are 1,906 stateless persons living in the Republic of Moldova, of which 966 are from Moldovan ethnicities born in Moldovan territories. 1,361 persons residing on the territory of the Republic of Moldova have an undetermined legal status, as their citizenship of other states has not been confirmed.
From August 2022 to date, the CDA has intervened in 70 cases of statelessness or risk of statelessness, of which 8 were successfully completed – the beneficiaries of the organization either obtained citizenship of the Republic of Moldova or – civil status documents.
