North Macedonia

In North Macedonia, Roma people face intersecting forms of discrimination that affect their ability to obtain birth registration for children. One documentation solution that North Macedonia deployed entailed subjecting people without any identity documents to DNA analysis. Their results were submitted to the civil registry so they could be entered into the birth register. This solution was initiated during a mobilization effort in 2011-2012. A 2018 UPR submission reported that authorities usually insisted on DNA analysis to prove filiation between a mother and child. However, the analysis is considered intrusive and expensive. Many of the affected families live in extreme poverty and cannot afford it. The government covered the fees for 20-40 analyses per year. In 2023 North Macedonia amended the Law on Civil Registry, which states DNA fingerprinting shall be requested only when the responsible authority cannot establish the filial relations between the child and the parents.