Consequences of childhood statelessness IV. CONSEQUENCES OF CHILDHOOD STATELESSNESS “I question my very existence, my very essence of being human. We don’t want to live or die as ghosts.” 50 Stateless children often experience a pernicious array of consequences caused by or linked to lack of nationality. The impacts of childhood statelessness extend beyond individuals, to families, communities and broader societies. Such hardships and human rights violations can relate to the essence of being a child (e.g., the right to play and live in a secure environment), as well as other essentials of life such as education, health and employment (for older children). Consequences of statelessness may include but are not limited to: Poverty, lack of adequate food, insecure housing and/or homelessness, and limited or no access to social welfare benefits Limited or no access to health care, including vaccinations, sometimes resulting in serious illness, suffering or death Discrimination and exclusion from various spheres of life Psychological harm related to discrimination, exclusion and other rights violations Limited or no access to education, graduation or certification due to lack of identity documents Limitations on the fulfilment of the right to play in safe environments Limited or no access to birth registration, birth certificates and identity documents 50 24 See Donald Kerwin, Daniela Alulema, Michael Nicholson and Robert Warren, Statelessness in the United States: A Study to Estimate and Profile the US Stateless Population, Journal on Migration and Human Security, 8(2), 2 June 2020.