Moviment Graffitti today published a comprehensive policy paper setting out a clear and achievable roadmap to address child statelessness in Malta. The white paper argues that statelessness is not an inevitable reality but the result of identifiable legal and administrative gaps that can and must be closed.

A child is statelessness if they are not recognised as a citizen by any nation state. As a result, stateless children live without a nationality and face significant barriers to accessing basic rights and services in the country where they reside. It is estimated that there is just a few hundred children in this situation.

The group warns that Malta has so far failed to establish effective procedures to identify stateless children or mechanisms to resolve their situation. As a consequence, children are growing up without a nationality, trapped in legal uncertainty, and denied a meaningful path to full belonging in the only country they have ever called home.

“Statelessness in Malta is not merely a legal anomaly,” the document states. “It is a lived condition marked by insecurity, intergenerational exclusion and long-term marginalisation.”

The paper outlines the legislative and institutional failures that allow statelessness to persist, examines its profound impact on children’s lives through data and personal testimonies. It also reviews best practices from other European states. 

Moviment Graffitti then puts forward seven targeted areas for reform, including the introduction of a statelessness determination procedure, the creation of a dedicated authority on statelessness, and changes to citizenship and naturalisation law.

If implemented in full, Moviment Graffitti argues that these proposals would bring Malta’s legal framework in line with its international obligations. This will ensure that no child born or raised in Malta is left without a nationality or a legal place in the society that they belong to.

Policy White Paper can be accessed from Moviment Graffitti’s website here.

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Il-Moviment Graffitti jniedi dokument ta’ riforma biex jintemm l-istatelessness fost it-tfal f’Malta

Illum, il-Moviment Graffitti ippubblika dokument bi proposti għal riformi sabiex tfal li twieldu Malta u ma jappartjenu għall-ebda stat ma jibqgħux f’din is-sitwazzjoni. Id-dokument isostni li l-istatelessness mhijiex realtà inevitabbli, iżda hija riżultat ta’ lakuni legali u amministrattivi li jistgħu jingħalqu.

L-istatelessness hija sitwazzjoni fejn tfal ma jkunu rikonoxxuti bħala ċittadini ta’ ebda stat. Minħabba f’hekk, jispiċċaw mingħajr nazzjonalità u ħafna drabi jiffaċċjaw ostakli kbar biex jaċċessaw servizzi bażiċi fil-pajjiż li jgħixu fih. Huwa estimat li hemm biss ftit mijiet ta’ każijiet.

Il-grupp iwissi li Malta s’issa naqset milli tistabbilixxi proċeduri effettivi biex jiġu identifikati tfal mingħajr stat. Malta naqset ukoll milli tistabbilixxi mekkaniżmi biex tissolva s-sitwazzjoni tagħhom. B’konsegwenza ta’ dan, hemm tfal li qed jikbru f’Malta mingħajr nazzjonalità, maqbuda f’sitwazzjoni ta’ inċertezza legali, u mċaħħda minn appartenenza sħiħa fl-uniku pajjiż li qatt għexu fih.

“L-istatelessness f’Malta mhijiex sempliċement anomalija legali,” jgħid id-dokument. “Hija realta’ li tikkawża n-nuqqas ta’ sigurtà, l-esklużjoni u l-marġinalizzazzjoni ta’ dawn it-tfal.”

Id-dokument jispjega n-nuqqasijiet leġiżlattivi u instituzzjonali li jippermettu li l-istatelessness jibqa’ jeżisti u jeżamina wkoll l-impatt profond li dan iħalli fuq il-ħajja tat-tfal, permezz ta’ statistiċi u xhieda personali. Fid-dokument hemm ukoll sezzjoni li tħares lejn riformi implimentati minn stati Ewropej oħra. 

Il-Moviment Graffitti qiegħed jipproponi riforma f’seba’ oqsma differenti, fosthom l-introduzzjoni ta’ proċedura għad-determinazzjoni tal-istatelessness, il-ħolqien ta’ awtorità dedikata għall-istatelessness, u emendi fil-liġi dwar iċ-ċittadinanza.

Il-Moviment Graffitti jsostni li, jekk jiġu mplimentati bis-sħiħ, dawn il-proposti jġibu l-qafas legali ta’ Malta f’konformità mal-obbligi internazzjonali tagħna u jiżguraw li l-ebda tifel jew tifla mwielda jew imrobbija f’Malta ma jibqgħu mingħajr nazzjonalità jew mingħajr post legali fis-soċjetà tagħhom.

Id-dokument jista’ jiġi aċċessat mis-sit elettroniku tal-Moviment Graffitti hawnhekk.