Abstract:
This research project is related to the recognition of stateless persons under international law, how stateless persons are identified, what causes statelessness and the outcomes of statelessness. It begins with discussing what statelessness is and what are the types of statelessness. It is followed by drawing out differences between a refugee, an internally displaced person, an asylum seeker, a migrant and a stateless person. The thesis work examines the international legal frameworks and briefly analyzes the two conventions, in addition it also points out specific provisions found in other existing international instruments. The research then talks about the responsibilities of States towards the stateless community and what should be done in order to prevent and reduce statelessness. The research concludes that the right to a nationality is a fundamental human right and that States need to consider individual choice concerning citizenship issues. However, if such choices are not considered and individuals are deprived of a nationality and all the rights that come with it, they will be performing a disservice and will be in breach of Article 15 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
