
by Annamaria De Felice
What is Statelessness?
Statelessness occurs when a person is not recognised as a national by any country. This often leaves individuals in a precarious position, unable to access basic rights such as education, healthcare, and employment. They may face restrictions on housing, work, studying, social security, bank accounts, driving licences, travel, and the ability to reunite with family.
Without proper legal recognition, stateless individuals are frequently left vulnerable, isolated, and at risk of exploitation.
Statelessness can arise from various factors, including discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, or gender, as well as issues such as lack of birth registration or changes in national boundaries.
In the UK, stateless people encounter significant challenges navigating the legal system, as the pathways to regularising their status are complex and limited. However, there are clear steps that can be taken to improve their situation.
How Are We Addressing This Issue?
JustRight Scotland, alongside a coalition of organisations supporting stateless people across the UK, has contributed to the briefing “Stateless People in the UK: At Risk of Legal Limbo, in Need of Protection.”
This briefing was launched today as part of the “Week of Statelessness in the UK” initiative, which aims to raise awareness about this pressing issue. It coincides with an upcoming High Court hearing challenging the Home Office’s changes to Immigration Rules, which have made it significantly harder for stateless people to reunite with their families.
What Does the Briefing Say?
The briefing highlights the everyday barriers stateless people face in the UK and the profound impact on their mental health.
These individuals often have no documents, no rights, and no state protection.
They cannot work, marry, study, open a bank account, or drive; they cannot live as others do. They are especially vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. Statelessness also risks separating families if some members are unable to secure citizenship or legal residency.
Access to legal advice is another major hurdle. In England and Wales, legal aid does not cover statelessness cases. Even in jurisdictions where it is covered, such as Scotland, there is a UK-wide crisis in legal aid provision due to low remuneration rates, complex bureaucracy, and a shortage of available legal advisers.
Recommendations for Change
The briefing proposes several actions to improve the situation for stateless people and help them access their rights:
- Improve the Statelessness Determination Procedure
- Ensure Access to Legal Advice
- Protect Stateless People from Detention
- Facilitate Family Reunification
- Remove Barriers to Citizenship
- Support Frameworks for Change
Across communities in the UK, stateless people and those at risk of statelessness are living in limbo. Only by taking concrete steps can this issue be addressed, enabling thousands of people in the UK to access their rights and live with dignity.