“Even before the pandemic, statelessness has been invisible” Involving stateless people in Europe’s COVID-19 response Stateless people are excluded from many of the rights and protections afforded by States to their nationals. They are among those most impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic and its fallout unless their specific circumstances and views are considered and acted upon now. Based on consultation with ENS’ civil society members working across Europe, we already know that COVID-19 is having a specific social, economic and health impact on stateless people in Europe. However, nobody understands the impact COVID-19 has on their lives better than stateless people themselves. Responses to the pandemic must be developed with and informed by communities affected by statelessness, with clear feedback channels, regular communication, transparency, and accountability. This position paper was developed through online group discussions over four days in May 2020 among up to 20 stateless individuals and community representatives based in various countries across Europe, facilitated by the European Network on Statelessness (ENS). The group discussed (i) the impacts and consequences of COVID-19 and resulting measures on stateless people in Europe, and (ii) what needed to be done in response to these impacts in order to support and protect stateless people through COVID-19 and beyond. The paper presents the results of these discussions and is intended to provide a snapshot of the views and experiences of some individuals and communities affected by statelessness in Europe at a specific point in time, in what is a rapidly changing regional and global picture. The impacts of COVID-19 on stateless people and required responses presented are not, therefore, representative of all individuals or communities affected by statelessness, and there may be other areas that are impacting on the lives of stateless people in Europe. For example, we know from ENS’ policy statement, that current restrictions on birth registration, issuing civil documentation, and access to consular services are heightening the risk that children are denied their right to a nationality. The quickly changing regional picture means that new issues facing stateless people may also come to light that different stakeholders will need to be prepared to respond to. However, we hope that this provides a starting point for the views and experiences of people affected by statelessness to be prioritised and reflected in decision-making and response implementation during COVID-19 and beyond. Community-led organisations are already on the ground doing crucial work to support stateless people by making information videos for illiterate community members, setting up hotlines, organising WhatsApp groups in different languages and delivering direct relief packages to vulnerable people who are excluded from government support. Stateless individuals and communities have always been pro-active in organising and creating solutions to the problems they are confronted with. While these efforts – often provided through voluntary work – must be recognised and provide a coping mechanism for stateless people experiencing marginalisation, COVID-19 requires solutions beyond what individuals and communities are able or should be expected to provide for themselves. As we face the fallout of a global public health crisis it is more important than ever to be led in decision-making by those impacted on what solutions are needed in response. An inclusive and participatory response to COVID-19 will require action and collaboration from all stakeholders, including governments (both local and central), regional institutions, civil society, and stateless communities. 1