UNICEF welcomes the decision of the Colombian Government to prevent the risk of statelessness of thousands of children born in Colombia of Venezuelan parents

PANAMA, 5 August 2019 - UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office welcomes the measure of the Colombian State announced today by President Iván Duque, who grants Colombian nationality to more than 24 thousand children of Venezuelan parents, born in the country since August 2015. This decision represents a substantial advance in the guarantee of children’s rights and avoids the risks associated with statelessness.

The exceptional and temporary administrative measure allows children born in that country of Venezuelan parents since August 19, 2015 to have Colombian nationality in their Civil Birth Registry.

“This measure ensures the guarantee of the rights of all children in mobility contexts, so we salute it as a milestone in the prevention of statelessness worldwide,” said María Cristina Perceval, UNICEF Regional Director. "We encourage the rest of the countries involved in the Venezuelan migration flow, to continue taking measures that guarantee the rights and integral protection of migrant children and their families," she added.

This Resolution of the National Registry, also establishes that children, born in Colombia of both Venezuelan parents as of August 19 and for a period of two years (August 2021), will be registered in the Civil Registry with the Colombian nationality.

Statelessness affects millions of people in the world. In 78 countries alone, about 4 million stateless persons have been identified who, having no recognition or protection from any country, are frequently victims of discrimination and have great limitations to access their rights to health, education and inclusion and participation in society. A situation that is being generated in some cases in the context of Venezuelan migration, with children born on the migratory route or in the destination countries of thousands of Venezuelan families, countries where their nationality acquisition system is based on the "right of blood" and not in the "right of land."

With this initiative, UNICEF welcomes that the Colombian State, in accordance with the principle of the best interests of children and in accordance with its international obligations to prevent statelessness, is a very important step to guarantee their integral protection.

UNICEF, as well as the entire United Nations System, is committed to the eradication of statelessness and the effectiveness of all children's rights, regardless of nationality or condition.

UNICEF highlights the cooperation it will develop jointly with UNHCR and IOM, at the request of the Colombian Government, to support the National Registry of Civil Status in the effective implementation of this new measure.

The Colombian State thus complies with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by Colombia in 1991, where it is provided in its article 7, that: “The child will be registered immediately after his/her birth and will be entitled since born to a name, to acquire a nationality and, as far as possible, to meet their parents and be cared for by them”.

Additionally, Colombia comes to comply with the provisions of the Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons of 1954 and the Convention of 1961 for the reduction of statelessness cases, which establish obligations to prevent and eradicate statelessness, including the right of every child to acquire a nationality at birth.