Insecurity and Detention
Ensure that statelessness determination procedures
and asylum processes continue to operate during
the pandemic; that increased policing powers are
proportionate and do not result in the arbitrary targeting
of vulnerable groups including the stateless; that
immigration detainees are released with adequate
status and support; and stateless persons, migrants
and others are not detained as part of the COVID-19
response.
New Risks of Statelessness
Treat registration services as essential, and ensure that
birth registration and documentation services continue
to operate during the pandemic; extend the validity of
nationality and residency documentation even if people
cannot apply at this time; combat intergenerational
statelessness; and when encountering persons
without documentation, desist from penalising them
for this (through detention, denial of relief and access
to healthcare etc.), but instead, to provide them with
documentation and nationality.
Sustaining Engagement on Statelessness
and the Right to Nationality
Support long-term work to provide direct services
to stateless persons as well as dedicated COVID-19
responses that include the stateless; promote greater
attention to statelessness by UN, media and other
actors; call for dedicated, intersectional and joined-up
action to protect the rights of all vulnerable groups,
including the stateless; and renew commitment to
realising the right to a nationality for all.
6
6. Media and social media actors, to act
responsibly, only publish verified information, counter
xenophobia and hate speech and take decisive
action against those who abuse media platforms to
provoke hatred and prejudice against the stateless,
migrants, minorities and other marginalised groups.
7. Donors, to support stateless communities, the
crucial work of activists and grassroots groups,
as well as the tracking, coordination and advocacy
conducted at national, regional and international
levels, to provide for and draw attention to the needs
of stateless persons at this time.
Most importantly, we remind all stakeholders of
the imperative to listen to, work with and be guided
by stateless activists and communities, and to be
accountable to them for actions and inaction, during
this time of crisis and beyond.
While the price already paid has been
immense, we hope that through urgent and
concerted action, we will together be able
to promote a rights-based, inclusive and
non-discriminatory response to COVID-19,
based on the premise that no one, including
the stateless, should be left behind. We
stand ready to share information and work
with all stakeholders in order to further this
goal.