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123.700 people in Germany are affected by statelessness (see here). Of these, 29.500 are registered with a recognised stateless status, while 94.200 are still registered with an undetermined nationality and therefore have no access to the rights stateless people are entitled to. While these numbers have been growing and there is an increasing political and public awareness about the issue, there is still no comprehensive statelessness determination procedure in place in Germany. 

How can we collectively develop empowering and enabling solutions that lead to sustainable social and political change? 

Knowledge is power. Knowledge is political. It matters which questions are asked. It matters who asks the questions. It matters who answers the questions. And it matters who listens to the answers and how those answers are interpreted and shared. 

One thing we have learned over the last years is the amount of knowledge and expertise that exists in the Statefree community. And that in order to build inclusive, intersectional and effective solutions that really address the issues we want to solve, we need to listen and tap into the collective wisdom, ideas and expertise that already exists. 

That is why we embarked on a participatory action research in November 2023. Over the course of 10 months, we delved deeply into statelessness, the mechanisms that produce and perpetuate it, and the questions we need to ask in order to understand its complexity. Together with 3 talented and engaged research fellows and our research lead, we looked at statelessness from the perspective of political science, law, anthropology and psychology. 

We were fortunate to interview 8 people with lived experience of statelessness in Germany and learned a lot from their perspectives and experiences. Each interview highlighted different reasons and consequences of statelessness, and allowed us to form a more comprehensive and intersectional understanding of statelessness.

In the words of one of the research fellows, the project was “a truly collaborative process that transforms traditional approaches on the issue into a research project owned by the experience of statelessness”. 

 

What insights did we gain? 

We gathered many insights, but here are some of the main ones we want to highlight:

  1. The lack of a statelessness determination procedure leads to unfair and contradictory treatment

The interviews reveal a lack of knowledge and willingness among authorities to address statelessness. Affected individuals face contradictory instructions, inconsistent treatment depending on location, and an absence of clear procedures and steps to take, leaving them feeling unsupported. Some succeed due to “luck” or empathetic staff, but access to rights and services often depends on personal connections or the attitudes of decision-makers, rather than fair and transparent processes. As one person describes: “They just told me, 'You have to somehow take care of it,' without telling me how, and I didn’t know either. To this day, I still don’t know.” 

  1. Statelessness causes and exacerbates marginalisation, discrimination and racism 

“For children, it’s difficult to understand why this odd piece of paper is so significant or why travelling isn’t easy. It also creates feelings of being different and excluded.” Statelessness leads to discrimination at every stage of life, affecting childhood, education, and career opportunities. Individuals face rejection from schools, jobs and public services due to their status. Even after naturalisation, experiences of racism persist. Many avoid discussing their statelessness out of fear of further discrimination, highlighting the psychological toll and intersection of racism and statelessness. 

  1. Statelessness represents a significant psychological burden and makes it difficult to feel a sense of belonging

Statelessness is often a lonely and isolating experience: “You feel solitary, knowing no one else with a similar problem, and there’s no one to talk to.” This lack of support becomes even more burdensome as authorities fail to provide a clear path out of statelessness: “It’s a heavy burden when you don’t know how to move forward.” The sense of powerlessness lingers, even after naturalisation: “My mother never lost her fundamental fear of authorities.”

What will happen with the insights?

👉🏼 A few months ago, we finalised a scientific paper that is currently under peer-review. Academic publications usually take a long time, but updates on this will follow soon! 

👉🏼 As we continue to develop tools to navigate German bureaucracy and the recognition of statelessness status, we will make sure that the design and content are informed by the knowledge we have gathered through the research.

While the research fellowship project has officially ended, we will continue to transform the insights we gained from it to make statelessness more visible and develop solutions that are inclusive, intersectional and effective.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the project and contributed with their time, expertise and wisdom! 

The research project was generously funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and Hans Sauer Stiftung. 


 

Mit mir seit 11 Tagen wieder einer mehr :)) 


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