North Macedonia

In North Macedonia, pregnant asylum seekers en route to Western Europe face difficulties registering their children because of barriers to accessing healthcare and/or being unable to produce valid ID documents. North Macedonia became a key country along the Balkan Route starting in 2014. In 2013, the country’s system for issuing ID documents for asylum seekers and processing asylum claims was denounced as dysfunctional before the Human Rights Council. North Macedonia received recommendations from the CRC (2010) to ensure that the status among children of refugees and persons under subsidiary protection is documented. It also received recommendations from the Human Rights Committee (2015) and CEDAW (2018) to improve the detention conditions of refugees including ensuring access to healthcare. North Macedonia received a UPR recommendation (2024) to facilitate birth registration for all in order for them to enjoy their rights, particularly the right to health, social protection and education. This included migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers.