Introduction people across the Middle East and North Africa in the same position as Sami, with no nationality. The MENA region is home to some of the largest populations of stateless persons worldwide. UNHCR statistics show that there are 444,237 persons confirmed to be under its statelessness mandate in the region.2 However, UNHCR statistics account for less than one third of the estimated global stateless population, and real number of stateless people in the region is likely to be significantly higher. No comprehensive statistics on statelessness exist in the individual states. Furthermore, stateless Palestinians – the largest Palestinian community in the world - have not been included in this statistic due to their specific legal status and position as they are under UNRWA and therefore excluded from UNHCRs protection mandate.   Burdened with statelessness, numerous families are left with an additional layer of vulnerability in their lives as they try and endure other problems such as poverty, displacement and conflict. . To top all of this, there are few protective frameworks in place for stateless persons in the region - the lack of nationality means that stateless persons are never eligible to vote and often unable to access many fundamental rights such as healthcare, owning 2 - UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNHCR Global Trends 2013: War's Human Cost, 20 June 2014 9