S P E C I A L R E P O RT / E V E RY D AY L I F E “...a form of punishment more primitive than torture” A 1 0 -Y E A R C A M PA I G N T O E N D S TAT E L E S S N E S S © UNHCR / N. LUKIN / JULY 2 014 Everyday Life: Frustration and Humiliation T AT THE AGE OF 17 ANGEL LOIS JOSEPH WAS OFFERED A US$350,000 BASEBALL CONTRACT WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS. THE OFFER WAS SUBSEQUENTLY WITHDRAWN BECAUSE, THOUGH HE WAS BORN IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HE WAS DENIED CITIZENSHIP THERE AND HAD NO OFFICIAL IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENT. A man collects cocoa pods on a plantation in Côte d’Ivoire. The nationality of hundreds of thousands of people in Côte d’Ivoire was called into question, leading to conflict. The government is now working to resolve these nationality issues. THE ROADBLOCKS CHILDREN FIRST encounter at school follow them throughout their lives, making it difficult and sometimes impossible for them to receive medical attention, obtain a job or enjoy other social services. Issa highlights the frustration of being a ‘non person’ in Kenya. Emphatically, he explains, “You cannot leave your house.” Technically, to do so without an ID is a crime. “Now, if you cannot leave your house, how do you live? How do you look for a job?” he asks. “You can’t open a bank account. You can’t transact business. You cannot own anything because you don’t exist.” Railya was a university professor with numerous publications to her name, but as a stateless person in France she found it impossible to find employment or acceptance. “The totally blank expressions on people’s faces. That kills you,” she says. © UNHCR / G. CONSTANTINE OFF LIMITS In countries across the globe many jobs are off limits or severely restricted for non-nationals, including public service, teaching, law, medicine and engineering. Some stateless people may be blocked from the labour market altogether. Even if they can find work, stateless people often have to accept wages substantially lower than nationals, little chance of promotion and the expectation of dismissal at any moment. “My salary is nothing more than pocket money,” says Aldulrahman, who lives in Kuwait. Because of such situations, stateless people face greater everyday pressures than other groups. In Myanmar, for example, nationals normally use state hospitals and clinics. However, because of government rules, stateless people have to resort to private clinics—which are much more expensive—or rely on non-profit organizations. This pat- 14 STAT E L E S S N E S S tern is repeated in other countries. In Kenya, the government issued free mosquito nets, but only households with official IDs were eligible. “Does malaria only attack Kenyans?” one frustrated stateless person asked at the time. There are occasional breakthroughs, but rarely without a twist in the tail. Sleiman is not authorized to work because he is stateless, but he nevertheless runs a successful wrought iron business in Lebanon. His company is registered in the name of his wife, who is a Lebanese national. Sleiman is also a successful rally car driver and to recognize his sporting achievements, a cedar tree was officially planted in his honour. But despite his many attempts to be recognized as a Lebanese national, he remains unable to represent Lebanon at international sports events and is still stateless. His pain and frustration is apparent when he says: “I am nearly 50 years old and I am tired of begging.” STAT E L E S S N E S S Nusret Hodzic, born to Montenegrin citizens and registered as Serbian, became stateless overnight due to an administrative error in his paperwork. He had a well-established life in Bar, Montenegro, where he owns a house, works for a construction company and is well-known in the community. Now, deprived of his nationality and documents, he says he feels like he is living in quarantine. The number one cause of statelessness in the 1990s was the dissolution of the USSR and Yugoslavia. The main cause this decade is discrimination. S TAT E L E S S AC H I E V E R S MARC CHAGALL (1887-1985) Artist Fled occupied Europe to USA in 1941 (had a Nansen passport) 15