STATELESSNESS

Nationality = A human right

Statelessness = The most acute violation of this right

Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states everyone has the right to a nationality, and no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of their nationality. Yet, there are more than 15 million people who face life without a nationality, with tens of millions whose nationality is under threat. Conservative estimates state every ten minutes, another child is born stateless.  

Nationality is how people access rights and services in our state-centric world. It is also an important part of social identity, offering a place to call home and a community to belong to. Stateless people are routinely denied fundamental human rights to education, healthcare, housing, employment, social protection, family life, documentation, own property, move freely, be safe, free and equal, participate politically and have their voices heard. 

 

How does a person become stateless?

Statelessness is most often caused/perpetuated by discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, disability and socio-economic status etc.

  • Approximately 75% of stateless people are minorities with the largest stateless populations in the world being entire communities, disenfranchised due to their identity.

  • In 24 countries women cannot pass nationality to their child on an equal basis to men, which can leave children stateless.

  • The redrawing of borders and state succession can lead to mass statelessness. I.e. the collapse of the Soviet Union and decolonisation both led to mass statelessness, mostly of minority groups.

  • Statelessness can be the result of citizenship stripping, carried out in the name of national security, but often targeting political dissidents and human rights defenders.

The problem, fuelled by authoritarianism, xenophobia, conflict and displacement, is growing. In most years, more children are born into statelessness than stateless people who receive a nationality.

Where does statelessness occur?

Statelessness occurs globally – as shown on the map, which highlights (in purple) major statelessness hotspots. These include Cote d’Ivoire, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Ukraine and the USA.

Among those most affected by statelessness are:

  • Children who inherit statelessness from their parents

  • Children who cannot access their parent’s nationality because of gender discrimination

  • Bidoon, especially in Kuwait, UAE, Iraq

  • Rohingya   in Myanmar and elsewhere

  • Palestinians

  • Dominicans of Haitian descent

  • Nubians, Pemba, and other East African tribes

  • Hill tribes in Northern Thailand

  • Former Soviet citizens

  • Historic migrants in Cote d’Ivoire

  • Bangladeshi Urdu speakers, Pakistani Bengalis 

  • Roma, especially in Former Yugoslavia and Italy 

  • Kurds in Syria and Iraq

  • Bajau Laut and other minorities in Malaysia 

  • Stateless migrants in Europe, USA, etc.

  • Denationalised residents of Assam, India