Resolving the ProblemFor purposes of ensuring both human rights protection of stateless Kurds and the political stability of Syria and the larger Middle Eastern region where Kurds reside, it is critical that Syria take steps now to reinstate nationality to both the Ajanib and Maktoumeen. Economic and social marginalization amongst this population is increasingly likely to foster considerable despair, hopelessness, and unrest. Thousands of highly educated and qualified Kurds who have much to offer to Syrian development now wait on the sidelines to become full-fledged and integrated members of Syrian civil society. They have much to offer the country in terms of professional capacity, and this vast pool of human resources is currently being wasted. As an intermediary step, the UNHCR, which has a mandate for stateless persons, should be playing a proactive role in advocating for the protection of Kurds without nationality in Syria, but has yet to act assertively on their behalf. The UNHCR told Refugees International that they did encourage the Syrian government to resolve the stateless problem upon the President’s recent visit to Hassakeh. However, there has been no evidence of follow-up other than a promised government initiative to grant citizenship to 30,000 stateless persons, which was frozen after the Qamishli uprising. The government reportedly conducted a confidential census of stateless Kurds in the northeast earlier this year, but no numbers have been officially released. Ultimately, however, it is the obligation of the Syrian government to take steps to rectify this serious and growing problem. The Syrian government should grant citizenship to all individuals lacking effective nationality in accordance with Article 3 of the Syrian Nationality Act and with international law. In an effort to support their integration into Syrian society after citizenship is granted, RI encourages the Syrian government to begin a program of reparations and development for Kurds who lost property and status in 1962 and promote the recognition of Kurdish culture and language within Syrian society. It is also critical to ensure that Kurds have equal opportunities for local participation. Equality will help facilitate unity. To prevent statelessness from injuring the security of the nation in the future, RI urges the Syrian government to ensure that every child born in Syria has the right to acquire a nationality and is not stateless. One opportunity to achieve this goal is to enact legislation to permit passage of nationality from mother to child. Furthermore, RI encourages Syria to become party to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Prevention of Statelessness. The EU has put further pressure on the Syrian government this year to reinstate the nationality of the denationalized Kurds, including the Maktoumeen. They must maintain their insistence that the problem be rectified. In addition, the Syrian Kurdish diaspora in the U.S. is becoming increasingly active in seeking non-violent solutions to issues faced by national and stateless Kurds alike. In November, President Al-Assad again made a public speech announcing his intention to resolve the problem of Kurds denationalized in the 1962 census. However, it remains to be seen whether there will be concrete follow-up on these guarantees or whether they will remain promises unrealized for a sizeable number of Kurdish population living in Syria. |
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Buried Alive: Resolving the Problem
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