14 | PROTECTING STATELESS PERSONS FROM ARBITRARY DETENTION IN MALTA definitions states, “third-country national: also known as stateless person…”59 Furthermore, the latest statistics from RefCom in partnership with the National Statistics Office (June 2015) merge stateless persons with all other third-country nationals, without specifying data for the first category on its own.60 In this document, one person who arrived irregularly by boat in 2014 is recorded as having an “unspecified” nationality. The national population census conducted in 2011 61 initially showed 200 persons recorded as stateless, yet a cross-checking exercise conducted by the NSO itself revealed that they had a nationality recorded elsewhere.62 It is interesting to note, also highlighted below, that official records containing information on nationality seem to be based on original statements made by individuals. This is especially so with regard to migrants and refugees entering Malta by boat, where information provided during the initial interview with immigration officials remains attached to the individual through his/her stay in Malta. The possibility of declaring oneself to be stateless, or of expressing doubt as to one’s nationality, seems limited. As noted below, this information is eventually referred to by the immigration authorities when exploring return modalities.