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The latest edition of Oxford University's "Forced Migration Review" features more than 20 articles on statelessness. These articles draw attention not only to this neglected issue but also provide constructive solutions towards finding an end to the ubiquitous struggle that affects some 12 million people from as far afield as Japan to Ecuador. Perhaps the biggest issue at hand with statelessness is a country's failure to acknowledge basic human rights to services such as health care, protection from child trafficking, and the ability to pursue legal work.

The following articles in particular caught my attention.

First, The Urdu-speaking minority in Bangladesh, often referred to as the Bihari, are one of many stateless groups of concern to Refugees International. Khalid Hussain's article regarding this group stressed the neglect and denial of rights by Bangladeshi authorities after they were registered to vote for the first time in 2008. 

The Bihari have been rendered effectively stateless for over 38 years since the 1971 war between East and West Pakistan, when the former became the independent state of Bangladesh. Their story is similar to that of other stateless groups; no formal employment, limited access to education (10 schools for over 116 settlements) and over 3 decades of living in squalid and "severely overcrowded settlements." Many had hoped that by obtaining Bangladeshi citizenship and national ID cards, they might soon be able to employ the rights they have as citizens.  Hussain shows that it is not the case and that even obtaining passports has proven difficult. Looking forward, we encourage the Bangladeshi government to explore all possible solutions and utilize all resources to address the needs of the Bihari. This may include their possible repatriation to Pakistan or the affirmation of citizenship in Bangladesh.

I was also surprised by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' 2008 survey in Ecuador, which revealed almost 130,000 unregistered people. Many of these are refugees fleeing violence in Colombia who are too scared to come forward to be registered, cannot reach the nearest registration office, or do not know their rights to request asylum. Vulnerable to local militia groups that become suspicious of those who lack official documentation, many have been killed for not being able to show identification. This theme of persecution and violence prevails in issues relating to statelessness and is also discussed in Refugees International's recent global survey on statelessness, "Nationality Rights for All."

Fumie Azukizawa and Chie Komai's article on stateless persons from Thailand in Japan  highlighted stateless issues in a country whose history has been largely unaccepting of foreign born populations. Displacement, lost documents and communication issues have prevented thousands from being able to prove their citizenship of any country. Without legal residence they face all too familiar issues within the stateless community that relate to a denial of human rights. To resolve this problem, Azukizawa & Komai recommend UNHCR assistance and that the Japanese government grant "Special Permission for Residence" status that would afford them the right to pursue legitimate work and access health services.

Additional proactive programs can prevent future generations from going through the same ordeal of being stateless. Simon Heap and Clare Cody highlight birth registration campaigns as one such example, with over 5 million registrations confirmed by 2006. Heap and Cody provide information on various countries where concerns over birth registration are high, and their recommendations for flexible and mobile campaigns administered by well-trained government staff illustrate what effective birth registration campaigns would afford for millions of otherwise stateless people.

Refugees International's own Maureen Lynch and Melanie Teff propose similar ideas in their article on stateless children, who "through no fault of their own, inherit circumstances that limit their potential." Referring to nations that include Kuwait, Senegal and even the USA, Lynch and Teff's advocacy for every child to be registered at birth carries a clear message, in that without it they face "at best, an uncertain future."

Lastly, Mark Manly's reiteration of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' willingness to work together with humanitarians and advocates alike was a welcome read. Through the hard work of governments, the United Nations, and non-government organizations, the issues that have long been faced by the world's stateless populations can be solved.
April 28, 2009 | Tagged as: Statelessness