Universal-MigrationHRlaw-PG-no-6-Publications-PractitionersGuide-2014-eng

MIGRATION AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW | 107
tions to prevent statelessness in case of loss, change or deprivation of
nationality. It provides that a “national of a Contracting State shall not
lose his nationality, so as to become stateless, on the ground of departure,
residence abroad, failure to register or on any similar ground”. 288
Finally, it is important to note that both the Geneva Refugee Convention
and the Statelessness Convention provide that a State “shall as far as
possible facilitate the assimilation and naturalization of refugees [and
of stateless persons]. They shall in particular make every effort to expedite
naturalization proceedings and to reduce as far as possible the
charges and costs of such proceedings.” 289
288 Article 7.3, Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, 1961. Exceptions to this principle
apply under Article 7.4 to a naturalized person “on account of residence abroad for a period,
not less than seven consecutive years, specified by the law of the Contracting State concerned
if he fails to declare to the appropriate authority his intention to retain his nationality”.
289 Article 35, Geneva Refugee Convention; and Article 32, Statelessness Convention.