When it comes to reducing, and even eradicating statelessness, one country has got it just right. The Kyrgyz Republic has recently announced that it has ended statelessness within its borders. Let’s reflect on that. There were stateless people, in the thousands, living in the Kyrgyz Republic, and then the number of stateless individuals was reduced to 0. Not by 2024 …
For this blog, part of my series focusing on climatic statelessness, I return to the issue of small island states at risk of disappearing due to slow-onset climate change. My first blog of the series, looked at how climate change and cross-border migration interrelate and what would happen in the event that entire communities and even states were displaced due …
In my last blog I looked at how climate change and cross-border migration interrelate and what would happen in the event that entire communities and even states were displaced due to climate change. In the rest of this series I look at which international law regimes might offer protection now and in the future. And where better to start, for …
The current issue of the excellent Statelessness & Citizenship Review is out now. I was delighted to be asked to contribute a case note to this year’s volume. Mulowayi v Minister of Home Affairs is an appeal to the South African Constitutional Court from a decision of the High Court of South Africa dealing with the validity of a regulation …
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s COP26 UN climate change conference has been postponed. But the urgency of tackling climate change has not gone away in the face of the pandemic. As the UN explains: “COVID-19 is the most urgent threat facing humanity today, but we cannot forget that climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity over the …
I had every intention of posting new blogs at the usual twice-monthly rate as the Covid-19 outbreak started. After all, now that I am in lockdown and not commuting to work, would I not have much more time for this and all manner of other (indoor) activities? I had not appreciated how much head space would be taken up with …
Late last year I discussed whether digital identity is the answer to universal individual legal identity. In this blog I look at a related issue: states which struggle to provide a legal identity for all are being asked to take a leap forward and harmonise their identity systems to make them interconnected and interoperable. What does this mean? Is this …
Season’s Greetings! This blog will take a short break over the festive period, returning in January for more on legal identity, belonging, citizenship and statelessness. For those celebrating Christmas and New Year this month – enjoy the holidays. If, like me, you are travelling this holiday season – for pleasure or to join friends and family – spare a thought …
Approximately 1.1 billion people globally are without a legal identity[ref] https://blogs.worldbank.org/voices/global-identification-challenge-who-are-1-billion-people-without-proof-identity [/ref]. The repercussions, both for states and for individuals are countless. And a solution is needed if we are to truly promote inclusivity and individuals’ access to their basic rights.
In this blog I review the recent conversations on legal identity for all and the direction of travel when it comes to solutions. Is digital identity the answer to universal individual legal identity? Or do we need to be pragmatic about what is realistic for many of those 1.1 billion excluded?
My recent analysis of the CJEU’s judgment in Bilali C-720/17 on statelessness and subsidiary protection is making a guest appearance on the excellent and informative blog by the European Network on Statelessness. The European Network on Statelessness is the collaboration of non-governmental organisations, academic initiatives, and individual experts committed to addressing statelessness in Europe. As well as its weekly blog, …
