MESSAGES Statelessness does not only exist in history but is ongoing, in real time and in practically every corner of the world. Even though statelessness intersects with every other human rights violation, it remains largely unknown and misunderstood. The large statelessness knowledge gap, even among prominent development, migration, humanitarian and human rights actors, is a challenge and burden for stateless people like me, globally. We are not just a collection of stories. We are our own advocates and experts through our lived experiences. This report recognises stateless people as leaders who must shape the vision and make decisions about the priorities that directly affect our lives, our families and our communities. The roadmap offers a way forward for our allies to check their statelessness blind-spots, centre us in their actions and be accountable us when delivering their mandates. We cannot end statelessness by ourselves. Together we must work to envision a world where nobody is deprived of nationality based on their race, ethnicity, sex, gender, or religion. A world where everyone’s human right to nationality is protected and upheld, and where statelessness is truly relegated to the history books. KARINA AMBARTSOUMIAN-CLOUGH, FOUNDING MEMBER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNITED STATELESS Letting nationality determine access to services, including healthcare and vaccination, is detrimental to everyone’s right to life and is a threat to public health as a whole. This report demonstrates why prioritizing the integration and inclusion of the furthest behind is crucial for international relations and public health. It highlights the consequences of statelessness on health and wellbeing, bringing us closer to promoting and achieving health for all. By providing a snapshot of the challenges associated with statelessness, the report and roadmap greatly contribute to the conversation and global efforts to make the vulnerabilities and needs of some 15 million stateless persons, and tens of millions whose nationality is under threat, visible and heard, during the pandemic and always. SANTINO SEVERONI DIRECTOR, GLOBAL HEALTH AND MIGRATION PROGRAMME WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION This report reminds us that stateless people were among the most vulnerable before COVID-19 hit the world, and remain so during the pandemic, as their conditions worsen. This, once more, should move us to action. If we want to truly leave no one behind, we ought to work closely with countries and territories to expand global and regional capacities to meet the needs of stateless people and make inclusion and integration a reality for everyone. Injustice, inequality, and exclusion drive and perpetuate the marginalisation of vulnerable and stigmatised populations, including stateless communities. These factors have led to devastating consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic, as stateless people, the majority of whom live in poverty, are forced to work in unsafe environments without access to health care, testing or vaccines. All of us in the public health and human rights community have a duty to protect the right to health care for all populations, irrespective of their citizenship or immigration status. Thus, it is crucial that we understand and respond to the ways in which the pandemic has aggravated the already grave statelessness crisis. This report and roadmap provide an excellent guide to more inclusive approaches to addressing the crisis incumbent on multiple stakeholders, and they are an important starting point for all health and human rights actors dedicated to an equitable, inclusive, and effective response to the pandemic. SAM WOLTHUIS ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD SERVICE 4 MICHELLE WILLIAMS DEAN, HARVARD T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH While we knew that COVID-19 would have a disproportionate impact on stateless people, we did not anticipate the devastating extent to which the pandemic and its secondary effects could have exacerbated inequality for this population. As the CESF Consortium has outlined in this comprehensive report, the crises that stateless communities are currently facing demonstrate the extent to which the pandemic has further jeopardized their rights such as access to health and to vital documentation essential to accessing crucial government support schemes; all while rising authoritarianism around the world threatens to cause even more harm. Although it is very apparent that statelessness is a human rights issue that intersects with the most pressing humanitarian issues of our time, INGOs and donors continue to largely overlook this population. It is imperative that funders and implementers alike, take up the clear and holistic calls to action and roadmap for change put forth by the CESF Consortium in this report and fulfill our obligation to support stateless populations around the world.