Palau Statelessness

1. Discriminatory Nationality Laws

Provisions allowing only ethnic Palauans to gain citizenship, even through naturalization, can be discriminatory towards people from other ethnic groups who were born in and are long-term residents of the country. One third of Palau’s population consists of non-citizens. Non-citizens are unable to buy land and often experience discrimination in many aspects of life.

2. Lack of Legal Safeguards Against Childhood Statelessness

There is no explicit protection for foundlings in the citizenship law of Palau nor is there protection for children born to stateless and/or foreign parents within the territory. The CRC Committee has expressed concern regarding legal safeguards to provide citizenship to children born on the territory to non-citizen parents, noting that this may lead to statelessness.

3. Administrative Barriers

Despite the CRC Committee expressing concerns in 2018 about Palau’s ineffective birth registration procedures, in 2014, the birth registration rate in Palau was reported as 100%. A 2022 Human Rights Report stated that authorities register births immediately in Palau.