Statelessness Mapping Study in Albania: A New Advocacy Tool for the Coalition and Partners
A young Roma girl in Tirana, Albania ©Armando Bode
Of the 1031* persons at risk of statelessness in Albania, 97% are children. This is one of the critical findings of a new mapping study produced by the Tirana Legal Aid Society. The study was supported by the UNHCR-UNICEF Coalition on Every Child’s Right to a Nationality and will serve as a key advocacy tool to remove legal and administrative barriers to children’s access to nationality and birth registration.
The Coalition succeeded in presenting the report’s findings to Parliament and in gathering considerable attention from Parliamentarians and line Ministries. UNHCR and UNICEF were requested to propose legislative and administrative amendments to address the identified gaps in law and policy and Government Representatives reaffirmed Albania’s aspiration to end statelessness by 2024.
* Number of persons identified during the 4 months mapping exercise. Total number is likely to be higher.
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