Statelessness as a human rights issue: A concept whose time has come

Abstract

The protection of stateless persons has long been understood as a challenge for the international community. However, for many of the past 60 years, a prioritized focus on refugees has dominated, or even eclipsed, the plight and protection needs of stateless persons. Guy Goodwin-Gill has long argued for a refocus of international attention and effort on the plight, predicament, and protection needs of stateless persons. In a seminal contribution over two decades ago he observed that, at that time, statelessness was perceived by many as a mere 'technical problem', yet, 'statelessness is indeed a broad human rights issue, even as it retains a distinct technical dimension. In light of developme..