A Study of Statelessness in South Sudan - 2017 communities such as the Madi and Acholi face further difficulties in proving their South Sudanese origins. The Nationality Regulations request that confirmation be provided that applicants from trans-boundary communities are indeed from the South Sudanese part of the community, which, in practice, includes additional recommendation letters and verification from local leaders. Most problematically, certain nomadic pastoralist groups – such as the Falata – are systematically denied access to application procedures for nationality certification by virtue of being considered as non-South Sudanese by DNPI officers, mirroring challenges that the group has faced throughout its history in seeking nationality recognition in Sudan. This systematic denial of nationality certificates renders these groups effectively stateless, leaving them particularly vulnerable to abuse. Impact and Mitigation While lack of nationality documentation does not necessarily equate to statelessness, the impacts in South Sudan are often synonymous. Lack of nationality certificates exposes affected individuals to serious political, economic, and © UNHCR South Sudanese women waiting at the Department of Nationality, Passports nd Immigration (DNPI) to file their applications for South Sudanese nationality. 4 social deprivations, undermining access to basic rights and services. Nationality certificates are necessary to open a bank account, register for school, own property, seek formal employment, or vote in elections. Those who are unable to secure nationality certificates are also denied protection afforded by this documentation, and are reported to face risk of arrest or forced