Causes of Statelessness The factors contributing to statelessness can be summarized through three principal causes: 1) State succession; 2) discrimination and arbitrary denial or deprivation of nationality; and 3) technical causes. These three causes often overlap. State Succession State succession occurs when an existing State is replaced by two or more states; when part of a State separates to form a new State; when territory is transferred from one State to another; or when two or more States unite to form a new state. State succession can create stateless populations when individuals fail or are unable to secure citizenship in the successor states.52 The redrawing of international borders has been a consistent cause of statelessness throughout history. Since the end of World War II, more than 100 new independent States have been formed.53 During the first several decades following the adoption of the two conventions in 1954 and 1961, statelessness did not receive much attention. With the dissolution of the former Soviet Union and the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, concerns over statelessness returned to the fore. Since that time, new States continue to be formed, most recently with the creation of the Republic of South Sudan in 2011. Because State succession frequently arises due to political or other differences between populations within the original state, the resulting statelessness is often “Stuck” in the U.S. after dissolution of related to discrimination. Soviet Union Ideally, in cases of State succession the people Slawa was born in 1952 in the Soviet Union in what is currently Turkwithin the new territory menistan. At age 27, he migrated to Soviet Russia where he resided would have access to for many years. In 1990, he fled to Hungary and traveled through acquiring the citizenship Europe, South America, and Central America for 15 months before of the new State; howreaching the U.S. in October 1991, where he applied for asylum. By ever, this is often not the December 1991, the Soviet Union had dissolved and 15 newly incase as the new States dependent States had emerged. Meanwhile, his claim for asylum frequently determine for was denied. He has appealed to both Russia and Turkmenistan to themselves the popularecognize him as a citizen, but he is unable to meet the nationaltions they will recognize ity laws of either country because he did not reside on their terrias nationals.54 tory at the time of independence or afterwards. He is stateless—no country will recognize him as a citizen. For over 20 years, Slawa has been “stuck” in the U.S. with no ability to obtain lawful status and no ability to leave. Solutions for the Stateless in the U.S. 13