MUSAWI – PIONEERING STATELESSNESS WORK IN PAKISTAN Musawi (meaning ‘equality’ in Urdu and Arabic) was established in 2018 and is comprised of legal and public policy specialists. Headquartered in Lahore, Pakistan, Musawi offers research, monitoring and evaluation, law and policy review, communications, impact assessment, strategic litigation, advocacy, capacity building and training assessments. Action Award (EUR 13,000) Until the initiation of this project, there was little research or information on stateless demographics in Pakistan. This project sought to advocate for the rights and inclusion of stateless people in Pakistan, exploring the impact of COVID-19 on these communities and identifying priority areas for future intervention by understanding community experiences and challenges during the pandemic. A report on the impact of COVID-19 on stateless communities was developed. The report increased awareness and avenues for advocacy on stateless communities at the local and national levels and provided insights and information to support future interventions at regional and international levels. The project contributed to bridging a gap between relevant stakeholders (government and non-governmental) and stateless communities, developing a more effective and inclusive strategy for COVID-19 response. Impact • This project generated new data and consolidated existing information on COVID-19 and statelessness, including on problems with documentation and registration, health, education, employment, relief etc. Academics shared that prior to the launch they did not know who stateless people were, of their presence in Pakistan or the existence of specific issues they face. • A roundtable discussion created space for effective dialogue and an understanding of the need to address specific issues that stateless people face. Lawyers, journalists, academics, activists, human rights advocates etc. mapped out their respective roles through developing national legal and policy frameworks, supporting awareness raising, knowledge and data and building access to essential services and opportunities. • The project resulted in increased visibility of stateless communities in Pakistan which has also given clarity to those who previously could not distinguish between stateless people and refugees in Pakistan. • The report and launch resulted in select community members voicing a desire to be part of more conversations on improving their conditions and legal status in Pakistan. This work strengthened Musawi’s relationship with stateless communities and their capacity to engage with them in the future. The Musawi team observed: “ The knowledge generated from the mapping study has created space for evidence-based advocacy and made it easier to have conversations with government and INGOs regarding stateless communities in Pakistan. This is particularly important because previously, if you raised questions like “what about stateless communities, how are we incorporating them in the response plan”, the government and INGOs would respond with “they are not a significant population or there isn’t much data on this, but they will be covered overall”. Future Plans Musawi intends to continue to disseminate statelessness data; support research and dialogue on citizenship rights for stateless communities; supporting regular multi-stakeholder gatherings to discuss challenges, interventions and explore ways forward for stateless communities by developing a local network / alliance of experts working on statelessness in Pakistan. With sustained funding support, they plan to develop national legal and policy frameworks on statelessness by supporting advocacy at federal and provincial levels and advocate for access to essential services and opportunities for stateless communities. 13