Establishing a dedicated SDP helps States assess the size of the stateless population on their territory and the issues they face, as well as adequately identifying and protecting stateless migrants and refugees, thereby both fulfilling their obligations under international law and providing a comprehensive, sustainable solution for individuals who cannot return to their country of origin or former residence. Most countries in Europe are yet to introduce a dedicated SDP resulting in a failure to uphold the rights of stateless people, leaving many facing years of uncertainty, social exclusion, risks of arbitrary immigration detention, and other human rights violations. Although almost all the 27 countries in the Statelessness Index are party to the 1954 Convention,13 there continues to be a gap between accession and implementation of these obligations in domestic law and practice. This briefing summarises how law, policy, and practice in the 27 countries featured in the Statelessness Index perform against international norms and good practice on statelessness determination and the protection of stateless people, and recommends key actions needed to improve the protection of stateless migrants and refugees in Europe.

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