By the end of December, about 700 stateless persons, mostly Roma, will be included in the special birth register. So far, the Registry Office has resolved 36 issues, awarding them temporary certificates. The Ministry of Interior will issue an identification document, which will contain a photo and a 12-digit number, similar to the social security number. With it, they will be identified before the institutions and will be able to exercise their right to social protection, education, health services and employment. With the status of "stateless", they live marginalized and excluded from society, without access to basic human rights. In addition, they are left at the mercy of outside the state aid system in dealing with the effects of the pandemic. However, both the authorities and the non-governmental sector believe that this is a temporary solution and does not solve the problem of statelessness in Macedonia.
