As a starting point, it is therefore important to note that Australia is lagging behind like countries when it comes to addressing the critical human rights issue of statelessness. Recommendations Australia has a long history of welcoming stateless people to Australia. However, poor awareness and understanding of the issue within decision-making bodies, government and the general public, combined with a lack of formal legal protections for stateless children and adults (including the absence of a SDP akin to that in operation of the UK, or a visa category or pathway to naturalization for stateless people born outside of Australia) presents significant difficulties for meaningfully addressing and reducing statelessness in Australia. Australia should: (i) Implement a legislative statelessness determination procedure which is fair, effective and accessible to all persons in Australia regardless of their legal status. This includes funded access to interpreting services and legal support; (ii) Introduce a dedicated visa category for all stateless persons, regardless of their mode of arrival in Australia, providing them with permanent protection and a pathway to naturalization; (iii) Expand the eligibility of Australian citizenship to all stateless persons in Australia, regardless as to whether they were born on Australian soil; and (iv) Develop a working group between government and legal service providers and other peak-body organisations (including stateless lead organisations) to regularly, constructively and productively meet and discuss issues impacting stateless people in Australia. Katie Robertson The 2022 Dorothy and Brian Wilson Churchill Fellowship to investigate best practice models for providing legal education and aid to stateless children Director - Stateless Legal Clinic Associate Director – Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness W: https://law.unimelb.edu.au/centres/statelessness/engage/stateless-children-legal-clinic 22