Regional Workshop on Statelessness and the Rights of Women and Children
limit the ability of their nationals to convey nationality by descent to children
born outside the country or stipulate that nationality cannot be passed
indefinitely to successive generations living abroad. In these situations,
children of later generations face a risk of statelessness, a risk heightened if
the State of residence does not grant citizenship under jul soli principle to
children born in its territory or applies the principle with significant
restrictions.
Smuggling and trafficking
People smuggling and human trafficking can be both causes and
consequences of statelessness. They can cause statelessness when smugglers
or traffickers confiscate people’s travel documents, which can leave the
victim without proof of nationality and present challenges for States in
verifying a victim’s nationality. People smuggling and human trafficking can
be a consequence of statelessness where
stateless persons are forced to live in extreme
poverty because of denial of access to
education or employment. Stateless persons
in such situations are often unable to access
regular forms of migration that leave them
vulnerable to exploitation by smugglers and
traffickers.
The national expert on trafficking issues from
Thailand described how the Bureau of AntiTrafficking in Women and Children under the
Ministry of Social Development and Human
Security, protects victims of human trafficking,
Saowanee Khomepatr,
including stateless people, identified in the
Director of the Bureau for
Anti-Trafficking in Women
country. She noted that Thailand is a country
and Children (BATWC),
of origin, transit as well as destination. Among
Ministry of Social
various Thai Government entities and other
Development and Human
stakeholders involved in this issue, the Bureau
Security. She presented to the
is responsible for providing assistance to
workshop how Thailand has
victims of trafficking. Specifically, her team
put in place the system for
coordinates with related agencies to identify
addressing the protection
and rescue victims, refer them to shelters and
needs of victims of trafficking.
provide them with basic services. From 2008
© UNHCR/B. Abante
to 2011, some 1,884 persons have been under
the care of the Bureau. Thailand’s ministerial
regulations allow victims a temporary stay while repatriation and
reintegration are facilitated through established bilateral agreements with
neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar. In
18