Key Learnings from My Visit to the USA:
An invaluable understanding of the importance of stateless led organisations that can
provide a direct voice to government and decisionmakers on issues affecting them as well
as raise awareness about the issue of statelessness, with the aim of assessing how we may
support the establishment of a similar organisation in Australia;
An in-depth understanding of the lack of legal protections available for stateless people in
the United States;
An insight into the impact of living stateless in America, thanks to the generosity of the
stateless people I was lucky to meet and spend time with (thank you);
An understanding and link to the key individuals and organisations working on the issue of
statelessness in America;
An understanding of the history and development of USCIS Guidelines on Statelessness
which includes procedures to assist USCIS ofFicers when assessing an individual’s potential
statelessness, as well as the strategic beneFit of advocating for non-legislative measures to
identify and address statelessness;
An invaluable understanding of history, evolution and operation of the legal clinic that
works on statelessness at the Boston University under the leadership of Professor Susan
Akram, relevant to the operation and expansion of the Australian Stateless Legal Clinic;
An invaluable understanding of history, evolution and operation of the legal service offered
by United Stateless relevant to the operation and expansion of the Australian Stateless Legal
Clinic;
An understanding of how local UNHCR ofFices can drive action on reducing statelessness
and support innovative initiatives such as the formation as a stateless led organisation;
An enhanced understanding of the acutely important role strategic communications and
media play in raising the proFile of the issue of statelessness and effectively advocating for
reform;
Invaluable connections and relationships that will continue into the future to allow me to
enhance and expand the Stateless Legal Clinic, as well as drive reform on the issue of
statelessness in Australia at the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness. In early 2024
Samantha Sitterley joined a panel I convened at the World Conference on Statelessness
about stateless legal clinics, where Amina also joined. We also intend to collaborate on a
potential global network of stateless legal clinics. I have also been delighted to collaborate
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