4.2 Profiles of participants in the research The researchers received over 80 referrals of potential participants. These referrals came from over 20 different organisations. In all, 37 interviews were conducted across the UK, including in London, Leeds, Coventry, Nottingham, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Oxford and Cardiff. The interviewees were selected on the basis of the information contained in the interview referral form and in accordance with the criteria in the methodology designed to achieve as broad and indicative a sample as possible.112 Of those interviewed, 32 were men and five women. The low number of women interviewees reflects the low number of stateless women referred to the research generally despite the additional efforts made to attract more referrals of women. This figure of around 15 per cent is significantly less than the 33 per cent quota identified in the methodology, or indeed what would be expected from the initial quantitative data findings. There were no child participants (under 18 years old) but otherwise the age range of interviewees was broadly as anticipated and in line with the target quotas outlined in the methodology: namely 16 individuals aged 18-29 (43 per cent), 16 individuals aged 30-49 (43 per cent) and five individuals aged over 50 (14 per cent). By far the most predominant profile of participant referred were refused asylum-seekers who remain in limbo on the UK territory. Thirty interviewees fitted this profile. A significant number came from countries of origin that are known to generate statelessness, as well as from ethnic groups which are subject to discrimination and/or arbitrary deprivation of nationality. They included Kuwaiti Bidouns (10 cases), Palestinians (six cases), a stateless Kurd from Syria, an ethnic Jew from Iraq, and an ethnic Nepali from Bhutan. Others countries of origin included Algeria, Belarus, Burundi, Chad, China, Eritrea, France, Kenya/Somalia, Liberia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. Only four participants interviewed (or referred) had not claimed asylum although all were nonetheless of a migrant background, two were from Malaysia and one each from France and Lithuania respectively. Of those interviewed it was concluded that 24 participants were stateless and the remainder were either “unreturnable” or outside the scope of the research or that further information was required before making a final assessment. Only three of the participants had been recognised by the UK Border Agency as stateless. This data indicates that statelessness on the UK territory is primarily a migratory phenomenon. As a result, the application of immigration law is particularly relevant to stateless persons in the UK. 112 See Chapter 1, Section 1.3.2. in the United Kingdom 65