Lack of identity documents is animportant obstacle to the protection of people forced toleave their homes by conflict, persecution, or naturaldisaster. At the most basic level, a person lacking identitydocuments cannot travel through the legal channels. Lack ofidentification can make people more vulnerable totrafficking, for example by making it more difficult toprove a person’s age or family relationships. Those who lackidentity documents may face greater difficulties provingtheir entitlement to nationality or to refugee status. Theabsence of fair and effective processes for registration andidentification places displaced persons at the risk ofexploitation and exclusion. Access to essential publicservices will be limited. Children are at risk of becomingstateless because of difficulties in accessing birthregistration and because the rules and practices in placemay prevent them from acquiring the nationality either of(one of) their parents or of the country of birth. Poorlyimplemented identification systems may even put displacedpeople at greater risk. If registration and identificationprocedures are not properly carried out, people who qualifyto be recognized as refugees or stateless. Persons, or asnationals, may be subject to immigration detention anddeportation to a country where they are in danger, or toillegal exploitation where they are. Weak identificationsystems can make it difficult for displaced persons andtheir children to reunite, to repatriate after crises haveended, and to reclaim land and property that they leftbehind. Robust identification and registration systems fordisplaced people also mitigate the disruptive impacts ofrapid influxes of refugees for governments, and assistplanning to respond to the needs of the displaced populations.
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