Tilburg University Statelessness and Discriminatory Nationality Laws: The Case of the Roma in Bosnia and Serbia Ivan Kochovski 2013 Master Thesis LLM International and European Public Law- Human Rights Track Department of International and European Public Law Tilburg Law School Supervisor: Dr. Laura van Waas Abstract With the further development and integration of Bosnia and Serbia into the EU the problems that the Roma minorities face in are drawing more and more attention. The Roma in Bosnia and Serbia are experiencing discrimination and violations of their most fundamental rights, such as healthcare, education and employment. However, one issue that has been neglected in the region has been the lack of nationality, which particularly affects the Roma. During the state succession in the early 1990’s and the following years of transition and instability many Roma were left without a nationality and a legal identity, and therefore vulnerable, unprotected and stateless. These Roma have not been able to resolve their status for almost two decades and are transferring their predicament of ‘legal invisibility’ and statelessness to their children. The emergence of new cases of statelessness shows that the deprivation of nationality among the Roma is not an event that occurred during the breakup of Yugoslavia but is a perpetuating problem that affects both Romani children and their parents. This paper aims to point out some of the main reasons for statelessness among the Roma. Therefore, it firstly points out the some of the main characteristics of the situation that the Roma are in. Secondly, it points out the main modes of acquiring a nationality in Bosnia and Serbia. Lastly, it presents an analysis on whether the Bosnian and Serbian nationality laws are discriminatory towards the Roma and whether the nationality laws of these countries are creating statelessness among the Roma. Since Bosnia and Serbia have a range of international obligations with regards to non-discrimination and the prevention of statelessness, their compliance with international law is also assessed. 2 List of Abbreviations and Acronyms BiH- Bosnia and Herzegovina CERD- Concention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination CRC- Convention on the Rights of the Child ECHR- European Convention on Human Rights ECN- European Convention on Nationality ECtHR- European Court of Human Rights FBiH – Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina FRY- Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ICCPR- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights IDP- Internally Displaced Person NGO- Non-Governmental Organisation RS- Republika Srpska SFRY- Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia UDHR- Universal Declaration of Human Rights UNDP- United Nations Development Programme UNHCR- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 3 Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. 2 List of Abbreviations and Acronyms ................................................................................................ 3 Chapter I: Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 6 1. The Stateless Roma ..................................................................................................................... 7 2. Research Question and Aim .................................................................................................... 10 3. Structure ..................................................................................................................................... 11 4. Relevance and Scope of This Research .................................................................................. 11 Chapter 2 – Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................... 13 1. The Right to a Nationality and Statelessness ......................................................................... 13 1.1 The Right to Nationality: Definition and Obligations ................................................... 13 1.1.1. Attribution of nationality ............................................................................................ 15 a) Conferral of nationality at birth ........................................................................................... 16 b) Naturalisation .................................................................................................................... 18 2. Statelessness: Definitions, Obligations and Causes .............................................................. 21 2.1. Statelessness: Definition and obligations ........................................................................ 21 2.2. Statelessness: Causes .......................................................................................................... 23 2.2.2. Birth Registration......................................................................................................... 25 a) Birth registration and statelessness ....................................................................................... 26 b) International Obligations with Regards to Birth Registration ................................................ 28 3. Discrimination ........................................................................................................................... 29 3.1 Direct Discrimination ......................................................................................................... 30 3.2. Indirect Discrimination ..................................................................................................... 31 3.3 Non-discrimination in International Law ........................................................................ 32 3.4 Linking Discrimination and Statelessness ........................................................................ 33 3.4.1 Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality: Denial of Citizenship .................................. 35 3.4.1 Obligations with regards to non-discrimination and the right to nationality ....... 36 Chapter 3- The Roma in Bosnia and Serbia .................................................................................. 38 1. The Roma during the SFRY and its dissolution ................................................................... 38 4 2. The Current Conditions that the Roma live in...................................................................... 40 3. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 43 Chapter 4 – Nationality laws of Bosnia and Serbia ...................................................................... 44 1. Historical Background .............................................................................................................. 44 1.1. Citizenship in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ......................................... 44 2. Nationality in Bosnia and Herzegovina .................................................................................. 46 2.1 Current nationality regime .................................................................................................. 47 2.1.1 Birth Registration in Bosnia ........................................................................................ 49 3. Nationality in Serbia .................................................................................................................. 51 3.1 Current Nationality Regime in Serbia ............................................................................... 51 3.1.1. Birth Registration......................................................................................................... 55 4. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 56 Chapter 5 – Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 59 1. Are the nationality laws and procedures discriminatory towards the Roma? ................... 60 1.1 Nationality Requirements ................................................................................................... 61 1.1.1 Birth registration Requirements.................................................................................. 65 1.2 In breach of international obligations on non-discrimination? ..................................... 68 2. Are the nationality laws and procedures of Bosnia and Serbia causing statelessness among the Roma? .......................................................................................................................... 70 5.2.1 In Breach of International Obligations on the Prevention on Statelessness? ...... 74 3. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 78 Chapter 6 – Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 80 1. Main Findings ............................................................................................................................ 80 1.1. Discrimination against the Roma, statelessness and breach of international law ...... 81 2. Final Remarks ...........................................................................................................................