John was born in South Africa, and in May 2005 he travelled to the UK on a tourist visa using his South African passport. Not long after his arrival, he was imprisoned in the UK. As a foreign national offender, the UK Government sought to deport him to South Africa at the end of his sentence. However, the UK authorities misplaced his passport and other belongings during his time in prison. Since then, after making extensive enquiries with the South African Government in order to return, South Africa has failed to redocument him and so he remains in the UK with no way for him to go back. His legal provider initially made a request for a determination of statelessness in March 2016. Following a negative decision, a successful administrative review directed that the decision be revised and 10 months later, his application for statelessness leave remained pending. Paul was born in Goa. He was treated as an Indian citizen from birth into adulthood and had an Indian passport. His parents were both British Overseas Citizens, and his father eventually acquired full British citizenship. Paul was issued a British passport by the British High Commission in India in 2007. In line with Indian citizenship laws, he subsequently surrendered his Indian citizenship, including his passport and other forms of identification, at the local police station. Paul travelled to the UK on his British passport in March 2009 to live and was later informed by the High Commission that the passport had been issued in error and that he was not in fact entitled to British nationality. Already in the UK and having surrendered his Indian citizenship, he has been searching for solutions for over 10 years. He is awaiting a decision on his second application for statelessness leave, which was submitted in early 2020. Karim, an ethnic Bidoun, was born in Kuwait where he had no identification papers and was unable to receive any formal education. 24 He arrived in the UK in March 2016 and applied for asylum. His application for asylum was refused, and after receiving advice from the local Kuwaiti Bidoun community, in December 2019, he made an application for statelessness leave. He is currently awaiting a decision. Madhav, a former Malaysian citizen, moved to India in 1986 to study. He arrived in the UK in 2003 after the Malaysian embassy in India lost his Malaysian passport and birth certificate. On the advice of an agent, he hoped that from the UK he would be able to get back to Malaysia. Unable to redocument with the Malaysian embassy, Madhav has been in the UK for 17 years. He is currently awaiting a decision on his statelessness leave application submitted in early 2019. Adam arrived in the UK from Malaysia on a student visa in 2001 to study engineering. After he finished his degree, in 2006 he was advised by a solicitor to renounce his Malaysian citizenship and to apply for a UK passport as a British Overseas Citizen. Since realising that this advice left him in limbo, Adam has been unsuccessfully trying to re-document with the Malaysian authorities. He remains in the UK living off the help of his friends and is currently awaiting a decision on his second statelessness leave application submitted in April 2019.25 Omar was born in Gaza in the State of Palestine. He arrived in the UK in 2013 on a student visa to study for a Masters in business. After the expiry of his student visa he claimed asylum which was refused in 2018. In early 2020, Omar submitted an application for statelessness leave and he is awaiting a decision. Eduardo was born in Cuba and arrived in the UK in 2007. He claimed asylum on arrival at Heathrow Airport, and in 2008 his asylum application was refused. In 2011, he sought to redocument himself with the Cuban embassy so that he could return to Cuba; however, according to him, as he had been outside of the country for too long, he has not been able to return. Eduardo made an application for statelessness leave in 2015, which was refused. He currently has an ongoing application for asylum and is awaiting a decision. 24 25 Ethnic Bidouns have their origins in the desert. Descended from nomadic tribes, they were not registered for nationality rights when Kuwait became independent in 1961. Although some have since been able to register in Kuwait, for some ethnic Bidouns, half a century later, their children and grandchildren continue to suffer the consequences. Many ethnic Chinese residents of Penang and Malacca were granted British Overseas Citizen status following Malaya’s independence from Britain. The British Nationality Act 1981, section 4B, provides for British nationals (including British Overseas Citizens) to register as British citizens if they do not have any other form of citizenship or nationality. After immigration laws were toughened in 2002, there was confusion amongst this group and their ability to register as British citizens. It appears that many renounced their Malaysian nationality following receipt of incorrect legal advice. They were told that after renunciation they would subsequently be eligible to apply to be registered as British citizens under the British Nationality Act, section 4B. When the applications were refused, many found themselves left in limbo. Recognised Stateless Person photographed in London. © UNHCR/Katie Barlow. 11 11