Statelessness

Involuntary loss of nationality
Stateless persons
Lack of citizenship

Nature

The condition of being without a nationality or without a legal right to domicile may arise from the refusal to grant nationality; deprivation of nationality; or expulsion (usually for political reasons, though also for misconduct). Statelessness involves homelessness, loss of property, unemployment, separation of family through nationality complications, general disorientation and conflict in countries which give asylum to stateless persons in large numbers.

Incidence

Statelessness affects an estimated 4.4 million people globally, according to the UNHCR, though the actual number may be significantly higher due to underreporting and lack of documentation. The problem is prevalent in regions experiencing conflict, shifting borders, or discriminatory nationality laws, with large populations in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Stateless individuals often face barriers to education, healthcare, employment, and legal protection, perpetuating cycles of poverty and marginalization.
In 2023, the Rohingya population in Myanmar and Bangladesh remained one of the world’s largest stateless groups, with over 900,000 people living in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, lacking citizenship and basic rights.

Claim

Stateless persons constitute a largely unprotected, vulnerable group of people, to whose problems the international community generally gives insufficient attention.