Statelessness: A Global Phenomenon Stateless persons commonly lack authorization to stay in the territory of the country in which they reside. They are routinely excluded from the legal regime available to citizens and are vulnerable to deprivation of a wide range of civil, political, social, and economic rights, often without recourse.27 Stateless individuals often face limited—if any—access to lawful employment, education, healthcare, birth registration, property ownership, freedom of movement, and political participation.28 They are typically unable to obtain even the most basic identity and travel documentation, further impeding their ability to engage in routine daily activities. This lack of documentation and the inability to secure permission to enter or remain in any country renders stateless individuals vulnerable to prolonged, sometimes indefinite, immigration detention. In some instances, stateless people have been “in orbit,” that is, deported from one country to another because no country will allow them to enter and reside in their territory. Because of their inherent vulnerability and in the absence of State protec- 10 tion inherent to nationality, stateless individuals are at greater risk of becoming victims of human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.29 These circumstances can result in many hardships, chief among them a lifetime of family separation. Data and statistics on stateless persons are difficult to obtain for a variety of reasons. There is a general lack of understanding about who qualifies as stateless and a lack of appropriate procedures to determine that status as well as reluctance on the part of many countries to recognize statelessness as a problem within their own borders. Many stateless persons are fearful of what may happen to them if they come forward—a fear that is often not misplaced. © UNHCR / J. Tanner A stateless person is a person “who is not considered a national by any State under the operation of its law”.26 Nationality connects an individual to a State and is the fundamental basis for acquiring and exercising the rights, protections, and obligations inherent in full membership in a society. As indicated above, UNHCR estimates that there are 12 million stateless persons across the globe, of which 3.5 million reside in countries for which there are reliable statistics counting stateless individuals. Julien Jean, 42, received his Haitian passport in December 2011 with the help of a local NGO. Without a passport he described life as being like a “goat in the mountains.” With a passport, he says that if he dies in the street then at least he will be recognized and identified. Citizens of Nowhere: