16. Oktober 2015

Benötigte Dokumente, Dauer und Kosten der Ausstellung eines Reisepasses im Ausland (insbesondere Irak, Libanon, Türkei)

Die Botschaft der Syrischen Arabischen Republik in Berlin veröffentlicht auf ihrer Website zwei Dokumente, die laut Angaben in den Dateieigenschaften aus dem Juli 2015 stammen, und die Bedingungen zur Erteilung bzw. Verlängerung eines Reisepasses auflisten. In diesen Dokumenten sind auch Angaben zu den benötigten Dokumenten und zu den Kosten genannt. Die Gebühren betragen demnach 330,- Euro für die erstmalige Ausstellung oder den Ersatz eines abgelaufenen Reisepasses und 380,- Euro für den Ersatz eines beschädigten oder verlorenen Reisepasses. Benötigt werde neben Passfotos und Formularen der alte Reisepass oder, falls dieser verloren gegangen sei, das Original eines Identitätsnachweises (Personalausweis, Familienbuch oder Auszug aus dem Zivilregister mit gestempeltem Passfoto beglaubigt vom syrischen Außenministerium) und unter anderem eine Verlustanzeige. Für die Verlängerung, die 165,- Euro koste, sei neben Formularen und Passfotos nur der alte Reisepass nötig. Außerdem benötige man sowohl für Ausstellung als auch für die Verlängerung eine Registrierungsnummer, für die eine Gebühr von 20,- Euro zu entrichten sei.

 

Die genauen Bestimmungen sind unter folgenden Links abrufbar:

·      Botschaft der Syrischen Arabischen Republik in Berlin: Konsularische Bestimmungen: Bedingungen zur Erteilung eines neuen Reisepasses, vermutlich Juli 2015a
http://www.syrianembassy.de/formulare/Bestimmungen%202015.pdf

·      Botschaft der Syrischen Arabischen Republik in Berlin: Konsularische Bestimmungen: Bedingungen zur Verlängerung eines Reisepasses, vermutlich Juli 2015b
http://www.syrianembassy.de/formulare/Bestimmungen%20ver.pdf

 

The Syrian Observer, eine Website die sich Großteils der Übersetzung von syrischen Nachrichtenartikeln widmet, berichtet in einem Artikel vom April 2015 über die Ausstellung von Reisepässen am syrischen Konsulat in Istanbul. Darin wird erwähnt, dass nach einer Entscheidung der Regierung vom 21. April 2015 die Ausstellung und Verlängerung von Reisepässen ohne zusätzliche Verfahren wie einer Sicherheitsüberprüfung begonnen habe. Die Gebühren würden 400 US-Dollar für die Neuausstellung und 200 US-Dollar für die Verlängerung eines Reispasses betragen. Ein politischer Aktivist habe angemerkt, dass er beobachtet habe, dass von 250 bis 300 wartenden Personen nur 30 ihren Antrag stellen konnten:

„The Syrian consulate in Istanbul has began the renewal Syrian passports, after a recent resolution issued by the Assad regime on April 21 permitted the granting and renewal of passports without additional procedures, including a security approval. The regime specified a $400 fee – or its equivalent in euros – for the issuing of a new passport, and $200 for passport renewals. Political activist Ismail Khattab said in an exclusive interview with al-Souria Net that he visited the Syrian consulate in Istanbul to ensure the consulate had begun the renewal of Syrian passports ‘immediately’, referring to the ill-treatment by consular staff to the Syrian applicants. Khattab explained the embassy staff in Istanbul are dealing with applicants inappropriately, saying: ‘The embassy staff want to humiliate the Syrians during the renewal process, while some Turkish policemen are screaming at Syrians, which angered some of the passers-by near the consulate’. ‘During my time at the consulate, between 250 to 300 people applied to renew their passports, but the consulate staff only accepted the applications of 30 of them. The consulate takes $200 to renew each passport and $400 to grant a new one. The renewal was free previously, and the consulate takes more than the specified amount; $220 to renew the passport instead of the $200, in addition to $10 to transfer the fee to the regime's accounts in Syria. The burden of these amounts is an indication of the economic deficit the regime currently suffers’, Khattab added. Commenting on passport renewal procedures, Khattab said: ‘You are required to register your name first, and after you pay the fees to the Kuwaiti-Turkish Bank, then you can submit your application’.” (The Syrian Observer, 30. April 2015)

Der in Doha ansässige arabische Nachrichtensender Al Jazeera veröffentlicht im April 2015 einen Artikel, der zur Ausstellung von Reisepässen am syrischen Konsulat in Beirut anmerkt, dass Menschen bei der Beantragung eines Reispasses einen Identitätsnachweis, eine libanesische Einreisekarte und Männer eine Karte über den militärischen Status vorlegen müssten. Verlängerungen seien unter Vorlage des Reisepasses „innerhalb weniger Stunden“ möglich:

„Adel, a Syrian journalist for Lebanon-based ARA News who spoke under a pseudonym, said refugees who applied for new passports at the Syrian consulate in Beirut on Monday were being asked to present identification, a Lebanese entrance card and, for men, a military status card - even if it indicated they had not served in the army. For renewals, Syrians simply presented their passports and were granted extensions ‘in just a few hours,’ Adel said.“ (Al Jazeera, 27. April 2015)

Die US-amerikanische Tageszeitung Wall Street Journal (WSJ) zitiert in einem Artikel vom September 2015 einen syrischen Arzt im Libanon, dem zufolge es nach den neuen Bestimmungen vom April 2015 möglich geworden sei, einen Reisepass innerhalb eines Monats zu bekommen. Allerdings habe der Arzt neben den Gebühren von 400 US-Dollar auch noch 2.600 Dollar an Bestechungsgeldern zahlen müssen, da er noch auf der Liste von Gesuchten von syrischen Geheimdiensten gestanden sei:

„Dr. Hamid [Ahmed al-Hamid, 37-year-old doctor] and others say Syria’s newly simplified passport-application process is another way the regime is helping rid the country of its enemies. Before an April decree by Mr. Assad, Syrians applying for a passport needed letters from security agencies and proof of completed military service; applicants could wait months, even years, for their application to wend its way through Syria’s bureaucracy. Under the new decree, prerequisites have been waived, and people who aren’t a target of security services have been able to get passports within a month. The decree set the passport fee at $400, but Dr. Hamid said he had to pay another $2,600 in bribes to finally obtain his because he is still wanted by some security agencies in Syria. He said he had been trying for almost a year before the decree - even with bribes - but was still unable to obtain a passport. Now, it’s just a matter of when he will leave Lebanon, and where he will go.“ (WSJ, 11. September 2015)

Die Nachrichtenagentur Associated Press (AP) berichtet im September 2015 zur Ausstellung von Reisepässen an der syrischen Botschaft in Jordanien, dass die Änderung der Politik durch die Gebühren von 400 US-Dollar für die Neuausstellung bzw. 200 US-Dollar für die Verlängerung von Reisepässen Deviseneinkommen für Syrien brächte. Einem Antragsteller sei mitgeteilt worden, dass er seinen Pass in fünf bis sechs Wochen abholen könne:

„With fees of $400 for a new passport and $200 for an extension, the policy change also brings significant foreign currency income for Syria. […] On Sunday, Mohammed was told he could pick up his passport in five to six weeks. Mohammed sold his wife Myasser's last pieces of gold - two bracelets - to pay the fee for the document.” (AP, 16. September 2015)

Registrierung neugeborener Kinder im In- und Ausland, Ausstellung von Identitätsnummern

Die staatliche syrische Nachrichtenagentur SANA berichtet im April 2010, dass die Abteilung für zivile Angelegenheiten im Innenministerium daran arbeite, das Personenstandsregister von Papier in digitale Form umzustellen. Das Projekt beinhalte, dass jede Bürgerin und jeder Bürger eine unverwechselbare Identitätsnummer erhalten habe, die mit der Person verbunden sei. Die Personenstandssekretariate in allen Provinzen würden via Netzwerk verbunden. Derzeit seien BürgerInnen in der Lage, ihre Registerdaten in jedem der 35 Sekretariate zu bekommen, in Zukunft könnten sie mithilfe der Identitätsnummer von überall Zugang zu ihren Daten erhalten:

„The Department of Civil Affairs at the Ministry of Interior is working to convert the civil registry from paper form to digital form in order to preserve citizens' personal data and bolster the use of computerization to facilitate administrative work. The computerization of the civil registry is one of the largest informatics projects in Syria, as it aims to build a national electronic database containing the civil registry of citizens and connect the civil registry secretariats via a network. The project includes providing a national number to each citizen that is registered on the ID card, which will be the main method for accessing his data in the various information systems of the government.

Assistant Minister of Interior for Civil Affairs Brig. General Hassan Jalali said that the civil registry secretariats in all the governorates are currently connected via a network which is constantly being upgraded to preserve information transfer security. He pointed out that each Syrian Arab citizen has been given a unique national number that is connected to his name even after death, and that each family is given a familial number, in addition to producing 14 million new ID cards and connecting registries to photographs and personal identification, with the process of inputting fingerprints and connecting them to registries currently underway, and that the issue of replacing paper fingerprints with electronic fingerprints was studied and will be put into effect in 2011.

Brig. General Jalali said that work is underway to establish a central database for the civil registry that will become the Syria Unified Secretariat, and that currently citizens can produce their registry from any of the 35 secretariats, and in the future they will be able to access their data from anywhere using their national number.” (SANA, 26. April 2010)

In einer Aussendung von SANA vom Juli 2011 wird erwähnt, dass im Zuge von Ausschreitungen beschädigte Büros der Personenstandsbehörde wieder instand gesetzt würden. Menschen, die von der Beschädigung der für sie zuständigen Büros betroffen seien, könnten sich an jedes andere naheliegende Büro der Personenstandsbehörde wenden, um Geburten, Todesfälle oder Eheschließungen zu registrieren. Die zentrale Verwaltungsbehörde für zivile Angelegenheiten verfüge über Kopien aller Daten, die verbrannt oder zerstört worden seien, zusätzlich gebe es elektronische Kopien aller Dokumente. Bereits früher sei ein Netzwerk zwischen allen Personenstands-Abteilungen geschaffen worden, um BürgerInnen zu ermöglichen, ihre Daten und Dokumente in der Nähe ihres Wohnortes zu beschaffen anstatt in dem Gebiet, in dem sie bei ihrer Geburt registriert worden seien:

„The Ministry of Interior began work on restoring the civil registry offices that were vandalized and burned by groups of vandals in a number of areas in preparation for resuming work in them. In a statement to SANA, Assistant Interior Minister for Civil Affairs Brig. Gen. Hasan Jalali said that restoration work is underway and the necessary equipment is being provided in these departments, and that people who civil records departments were vandalized can visit any other department near where they live to register new births, deaths and marriages and produce any necessary documents they need. He pointed out that the Central Administration of Civil Affairs has backup copies of all the records that were burned or destroyed, in addition to electronic copies of all the paperwork that was burned, noting that digitizing civil records helped preserve citizens' personal information. Earlier, Civil Affairs created a network between all civil registry departments via the computerization project, allowing citizens to update their records and produce documents from departments near where they live rather than having to visit the departments where they are registered in the area where they were born.” (SANA, 17. Juli 2011)

Auf der Website der syrischen Botschaft in Berlin findet sich ein Informationsblatt zur Registrierung von Kindern, das laut Angaben in den Dateieigenschaften aus dem Juli 2011 stammt. Demnach brauche man für die Registrierung eines Kindes bis zur Vollendung des 13. Lebensjahres ein Familienbuch, eine syrische Heiratsurkunde oder einen Familienauszug aus dem Zivilstandsregister, ein ausgefülltes Antragsformular durch die Eltern und die Geburtsurkunde des Kindes (ausgestellt durch das Standesamt i. d. BRD), sowie Kopie der Reisepässe der Eltern. Bis zum 2. Lebensmonat sei die Registrierung gebührenfrei, vom 2. Lebensmonat bis zur Vollendung des 1. Lebensjahrs betrage die Gebühr 36,- Euro, ab dem 1. Lebensjahr 144,- Euro. In dem Blatt wird darauf hingewiesen, dass Geburtenregistrierungen nur durch die Eltern des Kindes erfolgen könnten, nicht durch Behörden. Die Registrierung eines Kindes ab dem 14. Lebensjahr könne nicht mehr in der Botschaft, sondern nur noch bei der zuständigen Behörde in Syrien erfolgen. (Botschaft der Syrischen Arabischen Republik in Berlin, vermutlich Juli 2011)

 

In einer Untersuchung zur Geburtenregistrierung syrischer Flüchtlingskinder im Libanon vom Jänner 2015 fasst das Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) die notwendigen Schritte zusammen, die unternommen werden müssten, um Kinder zu registrieren. Der komplette Registrierungsprozess für im Libanon geborene Ausländer umfasse fünf Schritte. Beratungseinrichtungen würden jedoch angesichts der Umstände von Flüchtlingen nur empfehlen, die ersten drei Schritte innerhalb von 12 Monaten ab Geburt durchzuführen. Der erste Schritt sei der Erhalt einer Geburtsbescheinigung von GeburtshelferInnen oder dem Krankenhaus, der zweite Schritt sei der Erhalt einer Geburtsurkunde vom Muchtar, dem Gemeindevorsteher, der dritte Schritt sei die Registrierung der Geburt bei der Personenstandsbehörde, wobei hier zwei verschiedene Ämter aufgesucht werden müssten, nämlich das lokale Registrierungsamt (Nofous) und das Ausländerregistrierungsamt:

„Foreign nationals in Lebanon are required to follow five steps to register the births of their children. Due to the circumstances surrounding Syrian refugees’ and PRS’ residency status in Lebanon, UNHCR, NRC and other humanitarian actors only recommend that refugees complete the first three steps outlined in the box below. It is important to note that these steps are only possible for babies born in Lebanon and not for newborns or babies that arrive in Lebanon.” (NRC, Jänner 2015, S. 12)

„The birth registration process for babies born to Syrian refugee or PRS parents in Lebanon comprises three main steps that should be completed within 12 months of the baby’s birth:

Step One: Obtain a Birth Notification – a document usually obtained from the birth attendant, usually at the hospital or from a certified midwife.

Step Two: Obtain a Birth Certificate – obtained from the Mukhtar (local leader) located closest to the place of birth. The main documents/resources required for this are (1) the Birth Notification document; (2) identity documents, one for each parent as well as copies of these documents (i.e. either their family booklet, or the family extract, or their ID cards/valid passports along with the marriage certificate); and (3) a fee of up to LBP 30,000.

Step Three: Approach the Personal Status Department (PSD) to register the Birth Certificate. The PSD includes two parts: a) Nofous (local government registry office). This part of step three should be completed within one year of the birth or the parents will have to go to court to complete the birth registration. Parents are required to go to the Nofous that is nearest to the place where the baby was born. Proof of marriage is not officially required but is sometimes requested. The administrator will fill out boxes 14 and 15 of the Birth Certificate and stamp it. Parents will receive a document number and a date from the Nofous. The document number together with the date will interrupt the deadline of one year for the birth registration. b) Foreigners’ Register at the Personal Status Department of the relevant Governorate. If they have legal stay documentation, once parents have visited the Nofous they go to a different office (often in the same building) where the first three steps of the birth registration can be finalised.” (NRC, Jänner 2015, S. 13)

Das NRC schreibt, dass 92 Prozent der für die Untersuchung befragten Flüchtlinge es nicht geschafft hätten, diese drei rechtlichen und administrativen Schritte zur Registrierung ihrer im Libanon geborenen Kinder abzuschließen:

„NRC’s assessment found that, for a variety of reasons, 92% of the refugees interviewed were not able to complete the possible legal and administrative steps to register the births of their children born in Lebanon. This situation makes the risk of not having a legal identity and potential statelessness among refugee children particularly acute.” (NRC, Jänner 2015, S. 6)

Es gebe weitere Schritte im Prozess der Geburtenregistrierung, falls die Eltern des Babys über einen legalen Aufenthaltstitel im Libanon verfügen. Nach der Registrierung bei der libanesischen Personenstandsbehörde könne man zur Beglaubigung zum libanesischen Außenministerium und anschließend zur syrischen Botschaft gehen, um die Geburt in Syrien zu registrieren und damit syrische Identitätsdokumente für das Kind zu erhalten:

„There are additional steps to the birth registration process in order to register the birth of a baby if the parent does have valid legal residency. Following the visit to the local Personal Status Department, parents should visit the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then the Syrian Embassy. Once these steps are completed, the family must get an exit permit from the General Security Office when they decide to leave Lebanon. These steps are unrealistic for most refugees from Syria currently residing in Lebanon and are not recommended. However, the first steps of the process outlined below allow parents to obtain documents that greatly increase the chances of their babies’ obtaining a legal identity in Syria in the future.” (NRC, Jänner 2015, S. 12)

„After the registration at the Personal Status Department, the parents can then certify the original Birth Certificate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The original Birth Certificate will be stamped at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (at a cost of LBP 1,000). Parents can then approach the Syrian Embassy with the official Birth Certificate and their identity documents to register the birth also in Syria, in order to get Syrian identity documents for the child.” (NRC, Jänner 2015, S. 6, Fußnote 4)

In einem Artikel der in Beirut ansässigen NGO The Legal Agenda werden praktische und administrative Hürden aufgezählt, denen syrische Flüchtlinge bei der Registrierung ihrer Kinder im Libanon gegenüberstehen könnten, darunter fehlende Identitätsdokumente, Heiratsurkunden oder Aufenthaltstitel der Eltern, fehlende Geburtsberichte von GeburtshelferInnen oder ÄrtzInnen, fehlende Geburtsurkunden vom Gemeindevorsteher oder das Versäumen der Frist von einem Jahr:

„Each of these stages bears practical and administrative obstacles for Syrian refugees, which may lead to unregistered births, and consequently, the risk of statelessness. These obstacles are as follows:

Parents Have No Identity Documentation

All stages of birth registration in Lebanon require presenting documents to prove the identity of the parents. This presents a significant obstacle to many Syrian refugees who -as a result of the war in Syria- were forced to seek refuge in Lebanon without their identification documents. Forty per cent of births among Syrian refugees in Lebanon have not been registered because their parents did not have the required identity documents.

Parents Have No Legal Residence in Lebanon

In order to register the birth of their children in Lebanon, parents are required to have valid residency status. This poses the biggest problem for registration purposes. The Ministry of Interior circulars stress that a valid residence in Lebanon or a valid entry permit to Lebanon is required. Syrian refugees are not exempt. This includes those who entered Lebanon through informal crossings, either because they had to flee without the documentation required for legal entry or because of the risk of arrest on the Syrian borders. The children of these refugees are thus rendered victims [of circumstance and state regulation]. The same applies to refugees who entered Lebanon illegally without being able to renew their residency for a variety of reasons. The most significant of those being the high renewal fee (LL300,000 [US$199] per person). In addition, there are cases when birth registration of Syrian children is not possible due to the absence of one of the parents and the unavailability of their identity documents, or due to the separation of children from their families because of circumstances caused by the Syrian crisis.

No Proof of Marriage

Lebanese authorities also require parents to present documents proving their marriage. Valid documents include a marriage certificate, a family book, or a family record issued no earlier than six months and certified by the Lebanese and Syrian foreign ministries. Lebanese authorities have relaxed these procedures by instructing the civil status divisions to accept the family book as a sufficient identity documentation, if applicants were unable to provide a family record and an identical copy of the marriage certificate. This would facilitate the procedure of birth registration for many Syrian refugees. The family book is considered the basic document for related administrative transactions in Syria. As a result, Syrian citizens hold on to this document in particular to indicate their marital status.

No Birth Certificate From a Doctor or a Midwife

It is common among Syrian refugees -especially those not registered with UNHCR which covers over 75% of deliveries- to give birth at home without any medical assistance for various reasons. Hospitals and maternity centres tend to be far from where the refugees are located. The fees of physicians and midwives can also be prohibitive. Giving unassisted birth at home precludes parents from getting a birth certificate authenticated by the doctor or midwife. Moreover, in some cases, the hospital may refrain from issuing a birth certificate if the parents did not pay the full hospital fees, especially if the birth procedure was complex. The Ministry of Health has set up a hotline (1214) for parents to call in order to take action against the hospital, including obligating it to issue a certificate.

No Birth Certificate Authenticated by the Mayor

In the absence of a birth certificate, it may not be possible for the mayor to issue one and authenticate it. The Mayors and Optional Councils Law of 1947 gives the mayor the right to authenticate the birth certificate based on his "personal knowledge", and in the absence of a physician. The application of this regulation, however, causes a lot of confusion at the civil status divisions. The authenticity of these documents may be disputed and often requires an administrative investigation. Syrian babies are affected to a greater extent since the element of "personal knowledge" between the parents and the mayor is likely to be absent. Back in 1988, the General Directorate of Civil Status issued a circular stipulating that in order for the birth certificate to be accepted by the personal status officer, it must be signed by the physician or midwife.

It seems that civil status divisions tend to reject birth registration documents of Syrian refugees lacking medical authentication. If the mayor arbitrarily refrains from preparing a birth certificate, the refugees have no legal recourse to force him to do so. Moreover, some refugees may not afford fees charged by the mayor. Fees, which are not set, range from nil to an arbitrary amount requested by the mayor.

The Need to Declare the Birth Within a Year

Lebanese law stipulates that every birth in Lebanon should be declared at the civil divisions within a year from its occurrence. After the year period elapses, it is not possible to record the birth except after obtaining a precatory court decision by a single civil judge. Registration procedures followed in Syria are entirely different and the high cost of judicial procedures exceeds the capacity of the majority of Syrian refugees. Furthermore, there is a divergence in the jurisprudence over the possibility of accepting record claims for non-Lebanese, which may put them at a higher risk of statelessness if their births are not recorded in the state register within the one year time limit.

Lebanese authorities have taken steps to facilitate the declaration of a child’s birth. The one year limit for administrative registration is suspended if the personal status officer provides an incoming number upon declaration, then refers it to the competent civil status division. This buys time for Syrian parents to provide the necessary documentation needed for the registration of the birth, provided the transaction is completed at a later date.

The category of Syrian children who were born in Syria to parents who had to flee before processing their registration with the relevant authorities at home also faces obstacles of registration in Lebanon. In this case, there is no obligation on the part of the Lebanese state to register these births. The state's responsibility is limited to recording foreigners’ civil status events which occur on its territory. This category of refugees also faces the risk of statelessness, if their record of transactions cannot be completed in Syria at a later date.” (The Legal Agenda, 13. Jänner 2015)

In einem Bericht vom April 2015 beschreibt Refugees International (RI) die Geburtenregistrierung von syrischen Flüchtlingen in der Türkei. Der einzige Weg, eine syrische Geburtsurkunde zu erhalten, sei über das Konsulat in Istanbul, wobei manche SyrerInnen davor zurückschrecken, weil sie Angst haben, als Regimegegner identifiziert zu werden. Als Folge würde der Schwarzmarkt für falsche Pässe und Geburtsurkunden wachsen:

„As important as it is to register new births and young children with the Turkish government for purposes of temporary protection, only a legally recognized birth certificate recording the Syrian father’s name can ensure that a child will be recognized as a Syrian citizen. The only way to get a Syrian birth certificate in Turkey, however, is to request one through the Syrian consulate in Istanbul. For some Syrians this is not a possibility because they fear being identified as an opponent to the regime, which could put their lives in danger. Not surprisingly, this includes fighters of the Free Syrian Army and other armed opposition groups. However, it also includes doctors and other health care workers as well as human rights defenders and political activists. As a result, a black market in fake passports and birth certificates is growing in Turkey. One Syrian refugee was told that he could get a birth certificate for his child if he paid $1000, which he did. He knew four other professionals who had done the same thing and said they were lucky because they had the financial ability to acquire birth certificates, even if they were not real. He said that most Syrians in Turkey would never be able to afford these ‘fees,’ and as a result would not be able to document their children for purposes of Syrian citizenship.” (RI, 30. April 2015, S. 8-9)

UNHCR habe in der Türkei eine Broschüre zur Geburtenregistrierung verfasst, das SyrerInnen erkläre, wie sie zu einer türkischen Geburtsurkunde kämen, so RI weiter. Hierfür müsste der Geburtenbericht und Identitätsdokumente von Vater oder Mutter zum örtlichen Standesamt („population department“) gebracht werden. Ohne Heiratsurkunde oder Geburtsurkunde des Vaters könne es passieren, dass der Vater nicht auf der Geburtsurkunde des Kindes aufscheine, was eine wichtige Verbindung zur syrischen Staatsbürgerschaft unterbrechen würde:

„The UNHCR in Turkey recently issued a pamphlet called “Birth Registration in Turkey” that explains to Syrians how to request a Turkish birth certificate for their newborns. According to the pamphlet, a new mother or father must bring the birth report and any available identification documents to the local ‘Population Department,’ which is part of the Ministry of Interior. That department will record the birth information, link the child to their parents through issuance of a foreigner’s identity number, and issue a birth certificate. If a mother presents herself with a newborn, but does not have a marriage certificate and/or birth certificate of the father, he will not be listed on the birth certificate – thereby foreclosing a critical link to Syrian nationality. Syrian parents must apply for the birth certificate within 30 days of a newborn’s birth or a fee is assessed.” (RI, 30. April 2015, S. 9)

In einer Aussendung vom Juli 2015 beschreibt Refugees International die Schwierigkeiten, die bei der Registrierung von syrischen Kindern in den Nachbarländern, insbesondere der Türkei, auftreten könnten:

„Refugees International is in Turkey this month to look at the registration of Syrian children - those newly born in Turkey and those who fled Syria without registering. […] While the four neighboring host countries - Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Turkey – all have some sort of process to recognize these births, getting through that process is full of difficulties. […] The difficulty in registering a Syrian refugee baby in most cases begins before the child is actually born. Generally, in countries neighboring Syria, parents must provide documentation of a valid marriage, which usually requires offering evidence of their own identities. But all over the world, refugees often flee at a moment’s notice with few possessions and little time to think about hedging their bets for the future. Personal documents may be left behind, lost in transit, or destroyed by hostile actors. Many of the civil registration offices and ministries that might have kept such records in Syria are not centralized and no longer function, even if it were safe to access them. A further complication is that Syrian nationality is normally passed through a child’s father. Many fathers of Syrian newborns are dead, missing, separated from their families, or simply unable to prove their own identity. And consider survivors of rape, who may not even know who the father of their child is. Without proof of paternity, Syria may not recognize these children as citizens. Turkey is not unusual in that it does not automatically offer Turkish citizenship to refugees sheltered within its borders or to the children born to them. While a host country may not confer nationality to a child born of foreign parents, it can nonetheless provide a birth certificate and register births. Recording and collecting this information will be critical for children born in exile to acquire Syrian nationality in the future and thus for facilitating return to Syria.” (RI, 15. Juli 2015)

Auch UNHCR beschreibt in einer Aussendung vom November 2014 die Probleme der Geburtenregistrierung und die damit verbundene Gefahr der Staatenlosigkeit:

„Since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, more than 50,000 Syrian children have been born in exile in neighbouring countries. Under Syrian law, nationality can only be passed to a child by the father. In the midst of a war that has robbed hundreds of thousands of Syrian children of their fathers, this has dramatically increased the risk of statelessness. Rasha gave birth to her twin girls in Jordan, after fleeing from Syria alone and pregnant. Her husband Sayid was arrested in Syria after refusing compulsory military service, and she has heard no word of him since. ‘It wasn't safe for me to stay after that - I left immediately, without any papers,’ she told UNHCR. ‘Now my daughters can't get birth certificates, because I don't have my marriage papers and I don't have a husband next to me either. I have no way to prove my girls are Syrian, and I can't give them my nationality on my own.’ Even when the father is present, in most refugee host countries it is only possible for parents to register a birth with an official marriage certificate. But many who fled Syria were forced to leave everything behind, or report that their documents were lost or destroyed during flight. As a result, a UNHCR survey indicates that 70 per cent of Syrian children born in Lebanon are without an official birth certificate - a situation thought to be broadly reflected throughout the region. Unable to legally obtain a birth certificate in their host country, some refugees have taken huge risks to try to resolve the situation. Some mothers report smuggling their newborns back across the border into Syria in order to register them as if they had been born there. Others say their husbands or other family members returned to Syria to try to get the documents needed to register the birth, sometimes never to return.” (UNHCR, 4. November 2014)

Folgende Artikel enthalten weitere Informationen zu Problemen bei der Registrierung von Kindern:

·      Al Jazeera: Not Syrian, not Turkish: Refugees fleeing war lack documentation, 24. September 2015
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/9/24/not-syrian-not-turkish.html

·      CSM – Christian Science Monitor: Defining test for young refugees: Prove you are Syrian, 15. März 2015
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2015/0315/Defining-test-for-young-refugees-Prove-you-are-Syrian

·      Reuters: War may make hundreds of thousands of young Syrians stateless (Autorin: Emma Batha), 17. September 2014
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/17/us-foundation-syria-crisis-stateless-idUSKBN0HC1W420140917

·      Rozana Radio: Syrian Children, Stateless, 18. September 2015
http://rozana.fm/en/node/14876

·      Syria Deeply: Marriage in Syria: Difficulties, Bribes, and Lack of Recognition, 4. August 2015
http://www.syriadeeply.org/articles/2015/08/7841/marriage-syria-difficulties-bribes-lack-recognition/

·      Vocativ: Nowhere Babies: Syrians Born in Exile Face Uncertain Future, 20. Juli 2015
http://www.vocativ.com/news/211877/stateless-generation-of-syrians/

 

 

 

Quellen: (Zugriff auf alle Quellen am 16. Oktober 2015)

Benötigte Dokumente, Dauer und Kosten der Ausstellung eines Reisepasses im Ausland (insbesondere Irak, Libanon, Türkei)

·      Al Jazeera: Syria relaxes passport rules, letting refugees and draft dodgers apply, 27. April 2015
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/4/27/syria-relaxes-passport-rules-lets-refugees-apply.html

·      AP - Associated Press: Syrian refugees seek new passports as a ticket to Europe, 16. September 2015
http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2015-09-16-ML--Syrian%20Refugees-Heading%20to%20Europe/id-ced123fae0564bbc990d7f0d87a8da38

·      Botschaft der Syrischen Arabischen Republik in Berlin: Konsularische Bestimmungen: Bedingungen zur Erteilung eines neuen Reisepasses, vermutlich Juli 2015a
http://www.syrianembassy.de/formulare/Bestimmungen%202015.pdf

·      Botschaft der Syrischen Arabischen Republik in Berlin: Konsularische Bestimmungen: Bedingungen zur Verlängerung eines Reisepasses, vermutlich Juli 2015b
http://www.syrianembassy.de/formulare/Bestimmungen%20ver.pdf

·      The Syrian Observer: Syrian Consulate in Istanbul Begins Immediate Renewal of Passports, 30. April 2015
http://syrianobserver.com/EN/News/29107/Syrian_Consulate_Istanbul_Begins_Immediate_Renewal_Passports

·      WSJ - The Wall Street Journal: Assad Regime Fans Refugee Crisis, 11. September 2015
http://www.wsj.com/articles/assad-regime-inflames-refugee-crisis-1442014327

Registrierung neugeborener Kinder im In- und Ausland, Ausstellung von Identitätsnummern

·      Al Jazeera: Not Syrian, not Turkish: Refugees fleeing war lack documentation, 24. September 2015
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/9/24/not-syrian-not-turkish.html

·      Botschaft der Syrischen Arabischen Republik in Berlin: Erklärung zur Registrierung von Kindern, vermutlich Juli 2011
http://www.syrianembassy.de/formulare/Bestim_Geburt_Anmeld_De.pdf

·      CSM – Christian Science Monitor: Defining test for young refugees: Prove you are Syrian, 15. März 2015
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2015/0315/Defining-test-for-young-refugees-Prove-you-are-Syrian

·      NRC - Norwegian Refugee Council: Birth Registration Update; The Challenges of Birth Registration in Lebanon for Refugees from Syria, Jänner 2015
http://www.nrc.no/arch/img.aspx?file_id=9192763&ext=.pdf

·      Reuters: War may make hundreds of thousands of young Syrians stateless (Autorin: Emma Batha), 17. September 2014
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/17/us-foundation-syria-crisis-stateless-idUSKBN0HC1W420140917

·      RI - Refugees International: Birth Registration in Turkey: Preventing Statelessness of Syrian Children, 15. Juli 2015
http://refugeesinternational.org/blog/birth-registration-turkey-documenting-syrian-refugees

·      RI - Refugees International: Birth Registration in Turkey: Protecting the Future for Syrian Children, 30. April 2015
http://refugeesinternational.org/sites/default/files/150430_turkey_birth_registration.pdf

·      Rozana Radio: Syrian Children, Stateless, 18. September 2015
http://rozana.fm/en/node/14876

·      SANA – Syrian Arab News Agency: Ministry of Interior: Electronic Fingerprints to Replace Paper Fingerprints in 2011, 26. April 2010 (verfügbar auf Factiva)

·      SANA – Syrian Arab News Agency: Interior Ministry Begins Restoration of Vandalized Civil Registry Offices, 17. Juli 2011 (verfügbar auf Factiva)

·      Syria Deeply: Marriage in Syria: Difficulties, Bribes, and Lack of Recognition, 4. August 2015
http://www.syriadeeply.org/articles/2015/08/7841/marriage-syria-difficulties-bribes-lack-recognition/

·      The Legal Agenda: Syrian Refugee Children Born in Lebanon Face Threat of Statelessness, 13. Jänner 2015
http://english.legal-agenda.com/article.php?id=676&lang=en

·      UNHCR - UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Born in exile, Syrian children face threat of statelessness, 4. November 2014 (verfügbar auf ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/290277/424871_de.html

·      Vocativ: Nowhere Babies: Syrians Born in Exile Face Uncertain Future, 20. Juli 2015
http://www.vocativ.com/news/211877/stateless-generation-of-syrians/