and members of minority groups, including those who are stateless in their own country, are increasingly scapegoated, vilified and targeted for hate-speech. The pandemic has sped up the fragmentation of social cohesion and growth of xenophobia – already a trend before the outbreak of COVID-19. These drivers of exclusion place inclusive citizenship policy under increasing strain. More people are likely to be arbitrarily deprived of their nationality, driving up the number of stateless persons in the world. Without urgent intervention, any progress in addressing this urgent human rights issue risks being erased. 4 BORDER CLOSURES & MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS As borders close, those with protection needs, including stateless people, are refused entry. Where countries still allow citizens to return, denial of the right to nationality is leaving people stranded and separating families. In countries where women cannot confer nationality to their children or spouse, for instance, noncitizen family members may be unable to return home. Other restrictions on movement, including curfews, are also aggravating the loss of livelihoods for stateless populations. 1 million Rohingya refugees. As the first COVID-19 cases have been reported in Cox’s Bazar, the worst is yet to come. Border closures are also a grave concern and pushbacks at sea of Rohingya boats are now regularly reported in the region, reminiscent of the maritime crisis of 2015. While hundreds of Rohingya have been disembarked onto the silt island Basan Char, which is not fit for inhabitation, over 1,000 Rohingya are on boats in the high seas. In Malaysia, a wave of xenophobic attacks flooded (social) media, targeting Rohingya refugees. Online attacks have already degenerated into physical harassment. “ Combatting the epidemic requires tackling its darker sides. FERNAND DE VARENNES, UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues 5 INSECURITY & DETENTION Statelessness increases vulnerability to arrest and arbitrary detention due to the lack of identity documents or legal status. Serious concerns exist about exposure to COVID-19 and worsening conditions in detention centres, for instance as visitation and legal assistance schemes are impacted. In some cases, there has been an increase in immigration detention as rising xenophobia spurs immigration round-ups. Statelessness Determination Procedures, where in place, have stalled, leaving people in limbo for longer and having a knock-on effect on access to (health) services and government support. RISKS OF 6 NEW STATELESSNESS Civil registration and documentation procedures – including mobile birth registration – have been temporarily suspended in some countries. Where births go unregistered and ID cards are not issued, this can heighten the risk of statelessness among groups who struggle to establish their nationality. Consular services are also closed in some countries, impacting acquisition of nationality, where registration with consular authorities is required for children born abroad to acquire their parents’ nationality. Where the pandemic is fuelling xenophobic rhetoric, the intensified othering of certain groups may also lead to new cases of denial or deprivation of nationality – United Stateless is an organisation established and led by stateless people in the USA. It started as a simple conversation between several stateless persons who found each other through social media or by tracking newspaper articles about cases. They quickly found solidarity in the act of sharing their stories with one another. “A stateless life is one of terrible isolation, as the feeling of nonbelonging is pervasive. We have united to help each other” explain Karina and Ekaterina, two of the founders. “ While the pandemic is preventing us from organizing social meetings, which is an important part of how we support one another, we are moving forward with our mission and finding new ways to remain an impactful organization. The advocacy plans we’ve made around events and gatherings that have been and are being cancelled will have to be reimagined and implemented in new ways.”