Algeria
Babies born to nations without states
Since 1975 Algeria has hosted a stateless Sahrawi refugee population who live in five camps located in Tindouf province. The CRC (2012) recommended that Algeria ensure that all children within the State party’s jurisdiction have the right to be registered and acquire a nationality. While the Sahrawi are generally considered stateless, there is a partially recognized state governing from the camps where they live in the Algerian desert. In 1976 the Polisario Front formed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Algeria itself along with some 40 other states and the African Union, recognize the legitimacy of the SADR. The UN considers their homeland, the Western Sahara, a non-self-governing territory awaiting decolonization.
Promising Practices and Updates
A joint submission to the UPR (2022) reported that Polisario authorities issue Sahrawi refugees identity documents such as birth and nationality certificates. These documents are only considered valid in a small number of countries.
