later increased to 75,000 individuals. While these figures are based on government reporting to the UNHCR, it is unclear on what basis they were determined and who they comprise, although most are believed to be of Vietnamese origin. Nevertheless, the available figures suggest that Cambodia is the country with the third largest in situ statelessness population (i.e. stateless persons not on the move) in Southeast Asia, after Myanmar and Thailand.4 In mapping the statelessness situation in Cambodia, this report will first provide some brief background on the specific country context. It will then set out the applicable international and national legal frameworks of relevance to statelessness, including how they operate in practice. The report then proceeds with examining the profile of populations known to be stateless or at risk of statelessness. These concern mostly communities of long-term residents of Vietnamese origin, certain Khmer Krom individuals, as well as refugees. The report also highlights the impact of statelessness on affected individuals and communities, especially with regards to access to basic rights, services and protections. The report concludes with some observations on the prevention and reduction of statelessness in Cambodia. An annex with relevant sources of information and findings by human rights treaty bodies serves as a helpful resource for those who want to learn more about the subject. Methodology This study brings together publicly available information on statelessness in Cambodia. The methodology combines desk-based analysis of available reporting, including qualitative and quantitative data, with legal analysis of Cambodian legislation and practice relating to statelessness and citizenship. Interviews with stakeholders further informed this study. Most of the currently available information is from civil society and scholarship.5 Due to the limited existing data and lack of official information on statelessness in Cambodia, this report does not purport to be comprehensive. Rather, it seeks to shed some light on a situation that has been largely neglected by government and development partners alike. This study was implemented as part of a larger collaborative project on statelessness with Nationality For All and partners from Indonesia. It was made possible through funding support from Voice, an initiative by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The authors also wish to thank Nathan Quan for research support during the early stages of his study. 4 See Nationality For All (2023) ‘Statelessness Encyclopedia Asia Pacific’. <https://nationalityforall.org/ seap/> (11 July 2024); and Sperfeldt, Christoph (2021) ‘Legal Identity and Statelessness in Southeast Asia’, Asia Pacific Issues 147, East-West Center. <https://www.eastwestcenter.org/publications/legalidentity-and-statelessness-in-southeast-asia> (10 July 2024) 5 This report has also benefitted from data gathered as part of a project on poverty and statelessness supported by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) Cambodia program, and prior work by Dr Christoph Sperfeldt, Macquarie University.

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