In 2007, his residence permit was stolen and A.N. lived undocumented for three years. He had tried to take out a new document, but could not afford the fees. One day, upon coming into contact with police officers and failing to present a valid identity document, he was taken to the police headquarters and learned that he had been wanted by the police because petty crimes had been committed with the use of his stolen residence permit. He spent eighty days in detention and was released after having proved his innocence in court. After his release, A.N. obtained a new residence permit with the help of a social worker at Caritas. He used this opportunity to inquire about the possibility of him acquiring citizenship and was told he would need to go through the process of naturalization. Homeless and destitute, A.N. found the accumulative fees prohibitive: “ I would not have a problem in taking the exam – I have no problem in learning the Constitution. My problem is a financial one. If not for the fees, I would be happy to take the exam.” The cost of the examination of the citizenship application is 179 Litas and the exam costs 20 Litas (approximately 60 Euro). At the time of the interview, A.N. had a temporary place at a homeless shelter and had been out of work for eight months. For a long time he had considered seasonal jobs abroad to help him get back on track. He tried to travel abroad twice and failed both times. “They told me I needed a travel document, and for that I would have to pay 100 Litas. Then I need special applications to be able to work abroad. Every piece of paper costs money – where should I get it from?” A.N. has some health problems. He is entitled to State-provided healthcare services but has to pay in full or in part for some of them. He receives around 100 Euros a month and food stamps from the Government, which is not enough to cover all of his expenses or to rent a place to live. A.N. thinks acquiring citizenship would improve his situation: “Firstly, if I can’t find a job here, I can get a temporary job abroad for, say, six months and save some money to restart my life here. That would allow me to find a place to live and to repay my debts.” “ I am not saying my life would change immediately upon receiving a passport. But it would allow me to begin getting out of this mess. This life of destitution has trapped me. You are in constant contact with other homeless people. Many of them drink and are always inviting you to join in. For me it’s a temptation. A passport would be like a trampoline that would help me make a leap. There are many things I could give to the society.” Most persons with “unresolved” legal status interviewed belonged (or still belong) to vulnerable social groups; two were incarcerated at the time of the interview and another one was destitute and drinking heavily. Of the two stateless persons who had only recently resolved their legal status, one was drinking heavily and another had grown up in a children’s home and, until he got married, did not have a social support network that is usually provided by the family. This makes it more difficult to obtain access to procedures, which is confirmed by the persons with “unresolved” legal status who have obtained the permanent residence permit. These persons had relied heavily on the assistance of friends, family or social workers. The example of J.S. illustrates problems of stateless persons. U N H C R S TO C K H O L M , M AY 2 0 1 6 33