Human Rights Committee: Zhao v. Netherlands

Court name: Human Rights Committee
State: Netherlands
Date of decision:
Key aspects: Acquisition of nationality, Childhood statelessness, Determination/confirmation of nationality, Standard of proof, Statelessness determination

The Dutch requirement that a child provide proof of lack of nationality in order to be recognised as stateless was a violation of Art 24 ICCPR. As a person registered with 'unknown nationality' the child could not benefit from international protections afforded to stateless children, including the right to acquire the nationality of the State in which they are born.