Background

In 2011, the UNHCR issued a critical study on the position of stateless persons in the Netherlands, entitled ‘Mapping Statelessness in the Netherlands’. Two years later, a separate report by the national Advisory Committee on Migration Affairs confirmed the problems faced by this vulnerable group. In response to the latter, the State Secretary (Teeven) promised to introduce a statelessness determination procedure in the Netherlands, and to amend the Dutch nationality law so as to allow stateless children born in the Netherlands to obtain Dutch nationality more easily. What do these promises mean for the Dutch stateless? What will improve and for whom? And, perhaps even more importantly, what issues will remain unaddressed if these promises are fulfilled?

Opening photo-exhibition 

The symposium marks the opening of an exhibition of photography by award-winning photographer Greg Constantine, who has dedicated much of his work documenting the life stories of the world’s stateless populations.

Programme

The symposium combines contributions from legal practice, academia, art, NGOs and the government. Among the speakers are 

• Betty de Hart, University of Amsterdam
• Laura van Waas (Tilburg University, Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion)
• Maarten den Heijer (University of Amsterdam, Commissie Meijers) 
• David de Jong (Adviescommissie Vreemdelingenzaken/Advisory Committee on Migration Affairs)
• Edith Bleeker (Ministerie van Veiligheid en Justitie / Ministry of Security and Justice)
• Hana van Ooijen (Prakken d’Oliveira Human Rights Lawyers)
• Jelle Klaas, Fischer Advocaten/Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten
• Joost van Bennekom, Popescu Advocaten 
• Karel Hendriks, ASKV 

Two short documentaries on the lives of stateless persons in the Netherlands will be screened during the symposium.

Language

Presentations will be partly in English and partly in Dutch. No translation facilities will be available during the symposium. Questions can be asked to the speakers in either English or Dutch.

Attendance and registration

Registration for this event is no longer possible.

This event is part of a PhD research project carried out by Katja Swider within the Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance and funded by the Dutch Research Council NWO.