Stateless refugees, whose refugee status ceases and who have not acquired a nationality, they are still under the mandate of the 1954 Convention. As such, the aforementioned ‘ability to return in Article 1(C) of the 1951 Convention should also be read in light of states obligations under the 1954 Convention. UNCHR has provided legal guidance on the standards states should follow in returning stateless persons to their country of previous habitual residence:3 As for an individual’s ability to return to a country of previous habitual residence, this must be accompanied by the opportunity to live a life of security and dignity in conformity with the object and purpose of the 1954 Convention. Thus, this exception only applies to those individuals who already enjoy the status of permanent residence in another country, or would be granted it upon arrival, where this is accompanied by a full range of civil, economic, social and cultural rights, and where there is a reasonable prospect of obtaining nationality of that State. Permission to return to another country on a short-term basis would not suffice. (UNHCR, 2014, p. 55) Identifying the Statelessness of Refugees: Practical Considerations UNHCR’s (2014) Handbook on the Protection of Stateless Persons, provides guidance on how states could establish stateless determination procedures. With regard to the identification of the statelessness of refugees, a few salient points should be summarised. When determining statelessness the burden of proof should be shared between the individual and the state. This is because of the difficulty individual’s face in proving that they are not a citizen of any state. A further consideration is that stateless refugees may not hold any documents, and if they do, these will not necessarily state that they are stateless (some stateless people are recorded as foreigners in their documentation). These documents may also be seen as insufficiently credible to prove the individual’s identity. Some stateless people may actually be unaware that they are stateless, either assuming they are citizens of the state within which they were born, or have resided in for a substantial period of time. Others may have been rendered stateless through loss of nationality due to residence abroad or through denaturalisation; both can occur without the individual being notified by their state. Therefore, it is important for states to actively identify stateless persons, and when a person raises a refugee claim it is advised that they are also informed that they should apply to be recognised as stateless if they believe they are so, or their citizenship is uncertain (ibid). Refugee status determination and statelessness determination can either be separate procedures or combined. Though whichever system is opted for, the 3 This differs for if the individual is stateless as a result of voluntary renunciation of nationality as a matter of convenience or choice.