EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary Originally undertaken as an early organizational development and strategic planning project for Nationality for All (NFA), it was determined that the compiled information on statelessness in the Asia-Pacific should be made public and accessible, leading to the creation of the first edition of SEAP. As a continuation of the first edition, SEAP II is the culmination of over three years of research and consultations conducted by NFA on the ongoing issue of statelessness in the Asia-Pacific region. Expanding from the first edition published in May 2022, which included a regional overview of the Asia-Pacific and sub-regional overviews for East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the second edition contributes an additional overview of the Central Asia sub-region and 45 Country Factsheets for every country in the region. The lack of available and reliable data and statistics on statelessness in the Asia-Pacific was the main driving factor for producing this report. The AsiaPacific hosts the largest population of stateless individuals in the world. Without accurate figures on the number of people affected by statelessness, effectively addressing statelessness and advocating for solutions remain monumental tasks that few organizations in the Asia-Pacific have committed to. NFA, being the only regional organization addressing statelessness in the Asia-Pacific, our hope is to continue to invest in SEAP Report as a foundational resource for other stakeholders across the region to build from. Citizenship laws of the Asia-Pacific are largely characterized by a jus sanguinis structure, meaning citizenship is acquired via descent, with only 15 of 8 the 45 states in the region with a jus soli provision or limited jus soli provisions which stipulate citizenship by birth.1 Ethnic minority groups across the Asia-Pacific, but largely within South and Southeast Asia, are at risk of statelessness due to discriminatory applications of citizenship laws, administrative barriers to gaining documentation and social exclusion. Gender discrimination in nationality laws has also played a fundamental role in creating statelessness in the region. Access to naturalization for stateless persons in the Asia-Pacific is fairly limited, with only six states providing a simplified and/or expedited naturalization process for stateless persons.2 The vast majority of the stateless population in the Asia-Pacific is within South and Southeast Asia. The region contains three of the five largest hosting countries globally, with Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand combined reporting over 2.1 million stateless people in 2022.3 This represents a significant portion of UNHCR’s estimate of 5.1 million stateless people globally.4 Lack of reporting of statistical data in the region can be evidenced by the fact that nearly half of the states in the region (21 of 45) either did not report to UNHCR or reported zero stateless persons in 2022. 5 Of the reported stateless population in the AsiaPacific just over 1 million are stateless refugees.6 Lack of reporting of statistical data in the region can be evidenced by the fact that nearly half of the states in the region (21 of 45) either did not report to UNHCR or reported zero stateless persons in 2022. STATELESSNESS ENCYCLOPEDIA ASIA PACIFIC (DETAILED VERSION) Almost the entire reported population of stateless refugees are members of the Rohingya community from Myanmar, with the vast majority (almost 1 million) hosted in South Asian countries. Bangladesh is by far the largest host country for stateless refugees, with over 950,000 Rohingya refugees within their borders.7 However, the true scale of the Rohingya population within South Asia likely far exceeds reported figures. Regarding legal safeguards against childhood statelessness, the laws of 14 States in the region provide no explicit protection for foundling children to gain citizenship. There are also 14 States that provide no legislative protection to children born to stateless parents in their territories. Citizenship stripping has been known to cause statelessness largely in East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Administrative barriers to accessing citizenship have also rendered a vast number of populations stateless or with uncertain nationality statuses even in states across the Asia-Pacific where citizenship laws provide protection. Administrative barriers to nationality appear to be less prevalent in Treaty ratification is varied and inconsistent across the Asia-Pacific. Only seven of the 45 countries in the Asia-Pacific have accessioned to the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (‘1954 Convention’), five of the 45 states to the Convention on the Reduction of Stateless Persons (‘1961 Convention’), and only four have accessioned to both treaties. Central Asia and the Pacific compared to areas such as East Asia where household registration plays a vital evidentiary role for citizenship, or South and Southeast Asia where exclusion from civil registration has been used as a tool of ethnic discrimination.8 On climate change and statelessness, the Pacific faces some of the greatest risks and has seen the greatest attention regarding the threat of climate-induced statelessness. Treaty ratification is varied and inconsistent across the Asia-Pacific. Only seven of the 45 countries in the Asia-Pacific have accessioned to the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (‘1954 Convention’), five of the 45 states to the Convention on the Reduction of Stateless Persons (‘1961 Convention’), and only four have accessioned to both treaties. The scale of funding and resources available to organizations working to prevent and end statelessness are not proportionate to the scale of the problem and presents a major barrier for organizations working on the issue. Statelessness is far-reaching and pervasive, adversely impacting all aspects of life for individuals and communities, including their children, across the region. This report endeavors to invite further research and financial investment to support organizations working with individuals and communities experiencing statelessness. Further, it is our hope that this research will bring greater awareness to the ways in which statelessness significantly impacts peoples’ lives and limits their access to fundamental rights. REPORT 2024 9