The Expert Council on Integration and Migration (Sachverständigenrat), an independent advisory council in Germany, has published a policy brief about statelessness in Germany. The policy brief shows that stateless people are facing multiple barriers in accessing their rights and participating in society, and confirms that Germany is currently failing to meet its obligations under international conventions. The briefing also shows that political change is necessary and confirms the need for advocacy and awareness-raising work, including the work done by ENS’ member Statefree.
Important numbers are highlighted: 16% of people recognised as stateless by the authorities and 32% of people with ‘undetermined nationality’ were born in Germany. After Syria, Germany is the second most frequent country of birth of stateless people currently living in Germany. This shows that statelessness is produced in Germany due to its restrictive nationality law and inadequate birth and civil registration practices.
The conclusion of the policy brief is that measures must be taken to prevent and reduce statelessness in Germany. More awareness about statelessness is also necessary to achieve this. The policy brief (available in German) is an important step in that direction, as well as the work of civil society and academic researchers in Germany (as highlighted in Statefree’s forum). Read also the post on Statefree forum.
For more information on statelessness in Germany, visit the Germany Index country profile updated in March 2023 and watch our webinar on the 2023 state of play assessment on statelessness in Europe, including a presentation on Germany.
