The causes of statelessness are many and can include discrimination against particular ethnic or religious groups, or on the basis of gender, the emergence of new States and transfers of territory between existing States, and gaps in nationality laws. But statelessness is not an accident. It is often the result of legal, policy, or political decisions made by states. States …
The Wild Boars football team trapped in a cave in Thailand this summer received a lot of media attention, as did their subsequent dramatic rescue. The media initially reported on their endurance as they waited to be rescued and on the bravery of their rescuers. Then, as more was discovered about the team, the attention focused on the fact that …
I am proud and very happy to be a guest blogger 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 conducting and supporting legal and policy development, awareness-raising and capacity building activities, the Network …
Stateless or nationality unknown In this blog I want to look at what it means to be stateless or of nationality unknown in the Netherlands. More than 4,000 stateless people are currently living in the Netherlands. In addition, another 80,000 people are registered as ‘nationality unknown’. The Dutch government gives an individual the label ‘nationality unknown’ for a variety of …
What is the Abidjan Declaration on the eradication of statelessness? The Abidjan Declaration was adopted in February 2015 by the Member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to support UNHCR’s global campaign to end statelessness by 2024. It was endorsed by the Summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments in Accra, Ghana on 19 May …
