24 Dec 2020

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, commends the efforts of the Philippine Supreme Court in establishing a new committee to accelerate naturalization for refugees and stateless people in the country.

Under the leadership of Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta, the Special Committee on Facilitated Naturalization for Refugees and Stateless Individuals will lay the foundations for refugees and stateless persons to acquire Philippine citizenship. The Special Committee is tasked with enhancing and finalizing the draft rules developed by the Government’s Access to Justice Cluster of the Inter-Agency Steering Committee on the Protection of Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Stateless Persons to facilitate judicial naturalization for refugees and stateless people in the Philippines. Members include government and civil society experts on naturalization, namely, the Department of Justice’s Refugee and Stateless Persons Protection Unit, Public Attorney’s Office, Office of the Solicitor General, Philippine Judicial Academy, and the Community and Family Services International while UNHCR and representatives from the Supreme Court will serve as the Secretariat.

Naturalization, as a pathway to durable solutions, allows refugees and stateless people to enjoy and access full rights as Filipinos and promote their integration into the community. However, naturalization can be challenging for refugees and stateless persons given their vulnerabilities and usual requirements and procedures according to the laws. Between 2006-2017, only eight former refugees were naturalized in the Philippines due to rigid qualifications, such as acquiring lucrative income, and lengthy and costly processes.

The draft rules, once approved, will pave the way for recognized refugees and stateless persons to acquire Philippine citizenship through an expedited process. It will help them to integrate and achieve long-term economic and social stability which benefits themselves, their families and the community. As naturalized citizens of the Philippines, they will be able to practice their profession, own land, vote, and enjoy full legal protection.

This initiative is in line with the 2015 Supreme Court ruling in the case of Republic of the Philippines vs. Karbasi that “naturalization laws must be read in light of the developments in international human rights law specifically the granting of nationality to refugees and stateless persons”.

The Philippines, as a State Party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol and the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, has the obligation to “facilitate their assimilation and naturalization.” This Supreme Court’s effort is an important stepping stone towards fulfilling the goals set forth in the National Action Plan to End Statelessness by 2024, the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 and its pledges during the High-Level Segment on Statelessness.

UNHCR will continue to support the Philippine Government towards the issuance of this policy through the provision of technical guidance.