Key findings The UK currently lacks specific law, policy and procedures to address many of the challenges confronting stateless persons. This gap impacts on many stateless persons on the territory, from their first contact with immigration control to the prospects of finding a permanent solution to their predicament either in the UK or in another State. The key findings of the research are: There are flaws in the way data on stateless persons is recorded and presented. This means it is currently impossible to provide an accurate estimate of the total number of stateless persons in the UK. 1 The categories used by the UK Border Agency to record its contact with stateless persons are numerous, overlapping and confusing. As well as preventing an accurate count of stateless persons, this increases the risk that some stateless persons are not identified and that, as a result, their protection needs are not met. 2 A relatively small stateless population stuck in limbo in the UK can be identified by cross-referencing published figures with more detailed data provided by the Home Office and UK Border Agency for this research. Despite recent improvements, the last published immigration statistics of August 2011, give an inconsistent and incomplete picture of the numbers of stateless persons who come into contact with immigration control. Disaggregation of the published data shows that stateless persons with travel documents and visas are able to arrive in and depart from the UK without posing any particular challenge to immigration control. The research identifies around 150 to 200 people each year who claim asylum and are recorded as being stateless by the UK Border Agency. This group is granted asylum or complementary protection at a far higher rate than the average, reflecting the fact that stateless persons often face discrimination and the denial of their human rights in their countries of origin. The disaggregated statistics, however, show that removal only occurs in around 10 per cent of cases of stateless persons whose asylum claims are unsuccessful. The remaining group are small in number but are left in limbo, with no right to stay in the UK and no State to which they can return. 3 The absence of a statelessness determination procedure prevents the proper identification of stateless persons. There is currently no dedicated and accessible procedure in the UK to which individuals can apply for recognition of their statelessness. A number of other European States have such a procedure. This gap is a major obstacle that prevents the UK Border Agency from being able to identify those who are stateless and cannot leave the UK, and to distinguish such persons from individuals who in the United Kingdom 7