Childhood Statelessness and Forced Displacement: A study on Syrian refugees born in host countries

Refugees’ human rights, children rights and statelessness are all relevant topics under the international agenda of human rights. However, they are rarely studied together, and even less research has been devoted to the intersections and interactions between these three groups of human rights and to the ways that they reinforce or undermine one another. The present master’s thesis aims at uncovering and highlighting those intersections, evidencing how being a refugee child may increase the chances of childhood statelessness. The first chapter presents fundamental initial concepts and definitions, mainly on statelessness. The second chapter uncovers the direct relations between children, refugees and stateless persons' human rights. The third chapter analyzes the specific situation of Syrian refugee children who find themselves at risk of statelessness due to, mainly, being born in hosting countries. Special consideration will be given to issues regarding the right to a nationality and to being registered immediately after birth, as these are fundamental steps in the prevention and avoidance of childhood statelessness.