Addressing statelessness in the Syria refugee context

Raising awareness

Although the challenge of addressing statelessness within the Syria refugee response is acknowledged by various key actors in the region and is gaining wider recognition, there is still some way to go in terms of awareness raising on this issue. Both within the refugee population itself and among those working with them, statelessness and the risks of statelessness are not fully known or necessarily correctly understood. It is important to identify and build on existing good practice within the region in order to strengthen awareness raising efforts and impact. There are two key areas in which further opportunities lie: with respect to enhancing the refugee population’s knowledge of civil registration procedures in the host countries; and growing the general awareness of the issue of statelessness among the wide array of stakeholders who work with the Syrian refugee population. The overviews below offer an insight into good practices, tools and techniques in respect of activities to achieve these aims.

Raising awareness of the civil registration procedures among the refugee population

The following table presents a compilation of existing good practices and ideas drawn from the research and consultations conducted under this project. Note that different tools and techniques can be effective in reaching different audiences, so a combination of approaches is likely to have the greatest impact.

TOOLS:
How to package the information for refugees

OUTREACH:
How to ensure the message gets to the right refugees

MESSAGING:
What refugees most need to know

BROCHURES
Informational brochures and leaflets explaining civil registration procedures have been developed throughout the region by different actors. These can be disseminated broadly, such as in registration centres, hospitals, religious and community centres, schools, etc. Refugees can take a brochure away with them and refer to the information again later. Q&A explanations about procedures, such as this one provided online by UNHCR about Lebanon, can provide helpful input for brochures. As various examples from the region show, the use of pictures and diagrams is also important (especially where literacy may be an issue).

INSTRUCTION VIDEOS
Videos explaining how civil registration procedures work can be screened in waiting areas at registration centres or health clinics, or in common areas and during gatherings at religious or community centres. These can also be made available online or even screened on TV. There are already numerous videos available regarding birth registration, such as this one from Iraq of from Lebanon, but not on marriage registration.

OTHER TOOLS
Radio and TV adverts can also be used to convey messages about the importance of civil registration. One project created a comic strip, Know-your-rights, using pictures to show why birth and marriage registration is important for refugees, distributing this in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

REFUGEE COMMUNITY FOCAL POINTS
Most communities have designated focal points who may be able to spread awareness about registration procedures to their peers. Outreach volunteer programmes, often made up of persons from the refugee community, have for example even accompanied new mothers to hospitals and civil registration offices to assist them in the procedures.

RELEVANT SERVICE PROVIDERS
Certain key individuals, specifically midwifes and Mokhtars, are often in contact with the refugee population at the time when vital events occur. They are able to reach a very targeted audience, but will often have limited resources and time to give information or advice on civil registration procedures – nor do they necessarily have a detailed understanding of the system. It is therefore important to provide them with simple, illustrative messages to pass on to those they are in contact, in a format that makes it easy for them to do so. For instance, a mid-wife could be provided with a supply of small leaflets showing a new mother what the first step to register her birth is and why it is vital she take action. This can be given together with the birth attestation which the mid-wife issues to the mother. When a couple goes to a Sheikh to be married, they can be given information after the religious ceremony about how to initiate the formal marriage registration process, for instance: “go to this Sharia Court at this address with these documents to initiate the formal registration of your marriage; if you do not, the consequences may be x, y and z”.

TV / RADIO
Talking about the procedures on local radio of popular TV channels has proven to be successful in the region, as this reaches a much broader audience – although a less targeted one.

IDENTIFYING “PROBLEM CASES”
By sharing information about what factors can put refugees from Syria at risk of statelessness and which profiles can be considered at heightened risk, stakeholders will have a greater capacity to identify potential “problem cases”. A specific tool through which identification of issues could be undertaken is through intake forms for new beneficiaries: questions relating to nationality and documentation can be integrated and allow problems to be flagged and recorded (including through the possibility of identifying a refugee as stateless where there is clear evidence of this – such as the possession of a document issued by Syria to Ajanib Kurds).

PLOTTING OUT REFERRAL PATHWAYS
Where a situation is identified in which a stateless refugee or a refugee at heightened risk of statelessness is in need of more specialised assistance, it is important to have a clear understanding of the relevant referral pathways. In Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, there are organisations with specialist expertise and it is important to disseminate information about how to make a referral.

TRACKING CASES AND OUTCOMES
Understanding when stateless refugees encounter problems and how these are being addressed, as well as how situations in which refugees are at heightened risk of statelessness are being dealt with, can help to inform the further development of interventions and identify gaps and needs. Tracking cases and reporting on outcomes and developments can help to keep the field informed.

Help refugees to keep documents safe!

In addition to helping refugees to understand why and how to navigate civil registration procedures, it is important to help them to keep documents safe. A birth attestation from a mid-wife, for instance, could easily get lost or damaged when a family in a camp or informal settlement is unaware of its value and is busy looking after their new-born – yet this document is critical to the process of birth registration. A simple way to demonstrate the importance of a particular document and help refugees to keep it from being damaged by spills or dirt is to provide it inside a plastic zip-lock pouch. Information about the next steps in the birth registration procedure can be provided along with the document in the pouch.

Raising awareness of the issue of statelessness among stakeholders working with this population

There is a wide variety of different stakeholders involved in the Syrian refugee response. While it will be helpful for all actors to have a basic understanding of the (risk of) statelessness and how this may affect refugees from Syria, the scope and level of knowledge required by a particular stakeholder will depend on its role and responsibilities. The good practices and ideas compiled through the research and consultations conducted under this project which are set out below offer a range of different types of activity, some of which relate to external outreach and others to internal procedures within organisations where there is the interest and opportunity to strengthen engagement on the issue. More details of specific action that is being or can be undertaken at the country level in Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan can be found in the relevant country sections.

INFORMATION-SHARING:
How to spread the word about statelessness

STRENGHTENING CAPACITY:
How to ensure a more effective response

FACILITATING REFERRALS:
What to do when refugees need extra help

CIRCULATING BROCHURES OR LEAFLETS
As with awareness raising for the refugee population, a good way to build different stakeholders base knowledge of statelessness and how it may affect the refugee population from Syria is by sharing informational brochures and leaflets. These could explain, e.g. what is statelessness, the Syrian nationality law, who is affected by statelessness in Syria, or what documents a stateless refugee may have which are distinct from those of Syria nationals. The level of detail provided can be tailored to the audience to be targeted. For instance, if seeking to raise awareness among Mokhtars about the importance of civil registration for helping refugees to document their link to Syria to encourage them to help with awareness raising among refugees who come to their offices, the content of a brochure would be different than if reaching out to legal volunteers within a community to help them to identify and respond to cases in which refugees are at heightened risk of statelessness. As with awareness raising for the refugee population, when sharing information with stakeholders it is also important to explain not just what or how, but also why action is needed.

USING EXISTING MEETINGS AND MAILING LISTS
There are regular coordination meetings involving different stakeholders in the regional refugee response – working groups, protection clusters and others. Statelessness could be tabled as an agenda item for such a meeting, creating an opportunity to share information, clarify misunderstandings and raise key messages. Information can also be circulated through existing mailing lists and newsletters for different stakeholders working in the refugee response, and integrated into related tools (e.g. general birth registration awareness packs can incorporate an explanation of relevant statelessness issues). The advocacy talking points may be a helpful tool in preparing presentations or materials for these purposes.

APPOINTING A STATELESSNESS FOCAL POINT
It is not necessary for everyone involved in the refugee response to develop specialised expertise on statelessness. However, for some organisations, it may be helpful to appoint a statelessness focal point with a view to facilitating awareness raising within the organisation and creating a mechanism through which for instance a front-liner who is in regular contact with refugees and may have questions on the nationality of an individual or family may seek advice. For refugee assistance organisations that are in regular contact with stateless refugees and refugees at heightened risk of statelessness, a focal point can also play the role of monitoring the needs of staff on the issue and liaising with other organisations as relevant.

ORGANISING BRIEFINGS OR TRAINING SESSIONS
This toolkit provides a number of materials which can be used as the basis for a briefing or training session – for instance a lunchtime seminar for internal staff to raise awareness of the issues involved. The training videos give people a chance to hear directly from experts what the core challenges and potential solutions are. An accompanying download with discussion questions and further reading is also provided. The regional case studies can also be used as a training tool, whereby participants diagnose the problems and brainstorm the possible interventions for a particular case.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS
Around the region, different organisations are often engaged in similar work, for instance in different parts of the same country or even in different refugee-hosting states. Sharing knowledge, tools, tips on what has worked and what has not can help to keep the issue on the agenda and ensure an optimal impact. For caseworkers engaged in legal assistance to refugees at heightened risk of statelessness, brainstorming strategies and sharing case outcomes can be particularly useful.

IDENTIFYING “PROBLEM CASES”
By sharing information about what factors can put refugees from Syria at risk of statelessness and which profiles can be considered at heightened risk, stakeholders will have a greater capacity to identify potential “problem cases”. A specific tool through which identification of issues could be undertaken is through intake forms for new beneficiaries: questions relating to nationality and documentation can be integrated and allow problems to be flagged and recorded (including through the possibility of identifying a refugee as stateless where there is clear evidence of this – such as the possession of a document issued by Syria to Ajanib Kurds).

PLOTTING OUT REFERRAL PATHWAYS
Where a situation is identified in which a stateless refugee or a refugee at heightened risk of statelessness is in need of more specialised assistance, it is important to have a clear understanding of the relevant referral pathways. In Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, there are organisations with specialist expertise and it is important to disseminate information about how to make a referral.

TRACKING CASES AND OUTCOMES
Understanding when stateless refugees encounter problems and how these are being addressed, as well as how situations in which refugees are at heightened risk of statelessness are being dealt with, can help to inform the further development of interventions and identify gaps and needs. Tracking cases and reporting on outcomes and developments can help to keep the field informed.