25 | Training handbook . Statelessness 1. Introduction 2. Guidance 3. Legal context (...) By being aware of these complexities, COI researchers can ensure that their work is both accurate and sensitive to the unique experiences and challenges faced by stateless persons and other affected individuals around the world. 4. Research strategy 5. Appendices Below is a list of terms and phrases relating to statelessness that can help COI researchers to explore the broader contexts, underlying causes, and consequences of statelessness or identify indirect connections to the issue: • Stateless person: A person who is not considered a national by any state under the operation of its law, as defined by the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. • Develop an understanding of relevant terminology, including the word(s) used to describe statelessness in the country of habitual residence, the designations of different stateless groups in relevant • languages and the meanings that these terms carry De jure statelessness: A situation where an individual is legally not recognised as a citizen by any country under the operation of its law. What does this mean for COI research? People conducting COI research should: • De facto statelessness: A situation where an individual, although holding a formal nationality, cannot enjoy the rights and benefits associated with citizenship due to practical or administrative obstacles. • Use specific terminology designating the relevant stateless group(s) in information searches • Carefully examine the information found to ensure • its relevance to the specific research focus on statelessness • Set out the relevant terminology clearly in reports • Recognise and acknowledge the limits of terminology in a particular context, and that many • people may be stateless or at risk of statelessness even in the absence of relevant terminology • Work with individuals who speak the local language • to find out if there are any particular local terms that come close to translating. Birthright citizenship: A principle granting citizenship to individuals based on their place of birth (jus soli) or their parents' nationality (jus sanguinis). • Naturalisation: The process through which a person acquires citizenship in a country other than the one they were born in, typically by meeting certain legal requirements, such as residency, language proficiency, and knowledge of the country's history and culture. • Denaturalisation: The revocation of an individual's citizenship, usually as a result of fraud, criminal activity, or disloyalty to the state. © Asylos, 2023 Nationality: The legal bond between an individual and a state, typically acquired at birth or through naturalisation, and entitling the individual to the protection, rights, and privileges granted by the state. Citizenship: The status of being a legal member of a particular country, often used interchangeably with nationality. Back to contents