No papers - no birth certificate? Recommendations for registering children of refugees born in Germany

Abstract

Registering a child immediately after birth is a State obligation under article 7(1) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Registration serves to identify a newborn and is a prerequisite for enjoying other rights. In practice, registering the children of refugees born in Germany often takes several months if their parents cannot adequately prove their own identity. This paper provides recommendations on how to implement the provisions of the Convention on registering births.