BURIED ALIVE

grandfather is here in Syria; our family hasbeen here for over 100 years, but we lost ournationality in 1962.” To this day manyfamilies have members who are nationals andothers who are not. Fathers have nationality,while their children do not; one man hasnationality while his brother does not. Manystateless Kurds also report having familymembers who served in the Syrian militaryand whose nationality was then rescindedupon completion of their service.The results of the census of 43 years agocontinue to cause great suffering. “You can’timagine the condition of people without anationality,” one man said. “It violatesinternational laws to which Syria is a signatoryand Syrian domestic law itself.”According to documentation prepared by theUN High Commissioner for Refugees, Article3 of the Syrian Nationality Act stipulates that aperson is considered legally Syrian if he orshe is:a) Born inside or outside the Syrian ArabRepublic of a Syrian father;b) Born inside the Syrian Arab Republic of aSyrian mother but never proven legallydescendant of his father;c) Born inside the Syrian Arab Republic ofunknown parents, parents with anonymousnationality or parents with no nationality.Foundling children in the Syrian ArabRepublic are considered Syrian born (andregistered in the area they are found in)unless proven otherwise;d) Born in the Syrian Arab Republic and wasnot able at birth to acquire (by virtue ofpaternity) foreign nationality;e) One who is originally Syrian but neitheracquires another nationality nor applied forSyrian citizenship within the appointedtimes of previous legislations. This Articleapplies even if date of birth of concernedperson is prior to the date of this legislationcoming into force.The law also states that Syrian nationalityshall be given to foreigners by special decreeafter a written application proving that theapplicant:• Is legally competent;• Has lived in the Syrian Arab Republic forfive consecutive years;• Is free from infectious diseases and physicaldisabilities hampering him from work;• Is of good repute;• Has not being previously convicted;• Has a specialty or experience incertain fields;• Has fair knowledge of written andspoken Arabic.As it has in the past, once again this summerthe Human Rights Committee, the body ofindependent experts that monitors implementationof the International Covenant onCivil and Political Rights by its State parties,called on Syria to “protect and promote therights of non-citizen Kurds.” The EuropeanUnion has also sent a letter signed by severalmember states to President Al-Assad urginghim to rectify this prolonged situation.Fundamental HumanRights DeniedThe difficulties faced by stateless Kurds inSyria are numerous, despite Syria’s obligationsas a signatory to the Universal Declarationof Human Rights, the InternationalCovenant on Civil and Political Rights, theConvention on the Rights of the Child, andthe International Convention on the Eliminationof All Forms of Racial Discrimination.Individuals have irregular access toeducation, health care, livelihoods, travel,property ownership, judicial and politicalsystems, and registration of businesses,marriages, and children. They cannot vote orrun for public office.“You can’t imaginethe condition ofpeople withouta nationality.”www.refugeesinternational.org