UNHCR, OSCE, Council of Europe and European Network on Statelessness call for stronger safeguards to prevent childhood statelessness in Europe and Central Asia

WARSAW, Poland – Government representatives, international and regional organizations, civil society, people with lived experience of statelessness and other experts from across Europe and Central Asia concluded a two-day roundtable in Warsaw on 21 October, focused on strengthening efforts to ensure that no child is left without a nationality.

The “Regional Expert Roundtable on the Prevention of Childhood Statelessness” brought together representatives from 19 countries to exchange good practices and identify concrete measures to strengthen legal and administrative safeguards. It was jointly organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) High Commissioner on National Minorities, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Council of Europe and the European Network on Statelessness, under the umbrella of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness.

The roundtable built on the work undertaken by the co-organisers in recent years, including the joint 2025 UNHCR-OSCE publication Opening Doors for Children: Prevention of Childhood Statelessness – Good Practices in the OSCE Area and the Council of Europe’s Compendium of Promising Practices on Access to Nationality for Stateless Children. These publications document practical approaches to preventing childhood statelessness and improving access to nationality, providing a valuable foundation for exchanging experience and identifying further measures to strengthen safeguards across the region.

Opening the roundtable, the Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Europe stressed the importance of translating international commitments into practical results for children.

“The 65th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness offers an opportunity not only to reaffirm our commitments, but also to consider how we can translate international standards into tangible impact for children,” said Philippe Leclerc, UNHCR Regional Director for Europe. “No child should grow up without a nationality or be denied education, healthcare and the opportunity to live a dignified life. We know how to prevent childhood statelessness. Our task is to turn that knowledge into action.”

Almost 430,000 people in Europe and 28,000 people in Central Asia were reported as stateless or of undetermined nationality at the end of 2025, although the true figure is likely higher. Children can be born or become stateless because of gaps in nationality laws, ineffective implementation of existing safeguards, discrimination or barriers to birth registration and civil documentation. Many European states still lack comprehensive safeguards in their nationality laws to prevent childhood statelessness in all circumstances. The lack of identity documents also continues to leave marginalized communities, including Roma people, without effective access to fundamental rights and essential services, underscoring the urgent need for inclusive civil registration systems and effective access to nationality for all children.

Over two days, participants examined practical ways to prevent childhood statelessness and strengthen access to birth registration. Discussions identified barriers including burdensome documentation requirements, limited access to information and legal assistance, fees, language barriers and gaps in coordination between authorities. Participants highlighted the need to strengthen the implementation of existing safeguards, build the capacity of frontline officials, adopt child-centered approaches and ensure that civil registration systems are accessible to all children. They also stressed the importance of engaging people with lived experience of statelessness, improving data collection and monitoring, and strengthening regional cooperation.

Held at the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) premises and with funding from the European Union, the roundtable called on European and Central Asian States to urgently close gaps in nationality laws, effectively implement existing safeguards and remove legal and administrative barriers to birth registration and access to nationality. The co-organizers urged States to build on the good practices and recommendations discussed at the roundtable and translate them into concrete legal, policy and administrative measures, so that no child is left stateless. They further encouraged governments across the region to join the Global Alliance to End Statelessness as Solutions Seekers, helping drive and showcase concrete reforms that prevent and reduce statelessness.

Additional resources:

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) "Opening Doors for Children: Prevention of Childhood Statelessness - Good Practices in the OSCE Area"

Council of Europe "Compendium of promising practices on access to nationality for stateless children"

For more information, please contact: 

• In Geneva (regional): Kathryn Porteous, [email protected], +33 6 70 72 51 94