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Looking for helpful tips and advice around statelessness? Or, recently learned something about statelessness? Don't be shy! Ask the community or share your knowledge with other members

122 Posts
Statefree
Statefree Team
StatefreeStatefree Team
published in People in the community
Intro to Organisations 👋: What can I do & find here?Tutorial

Are you curious to learn about organisations that are working on statelessness? As an individual user this space gives you an overview of different organisations that are working in the statelessness sector.  You work in an organisation and want to introduce your organisation to the community? Contact tech@statefree.world to register your organisation and get assigned an official “Organisation” account in the community. 

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Statefree
Statefree Team
Statefree
Statefree Team
StatefreeStatefree Team
published in People in the community
Intro to Individual Members 👋: What can I do here?Tutorial

Whoop whoop  - welcome to the community party! This is the space for us to connect and get to know each other.  This space is for You to introduce yourself to the community  Connect and learn about other members  Welcome new members to the crew and make them feel welcomed by responding to their introductions   Inspiration on how to introduce yourself 3 Tips for this space #1 Don’t worry: Everyone is welcome in this space. Be encouraged to be yourself and introduce as much or as little you want to about yourself #2 Welcome others: It’s not always easy to be New to the party. Be welcoming and respond to the comments of new users.  #3 Connect: This space is a chance for you to get in contact with each other, use it and approach individuals whom you find interesting and want to learn more about Not sure how to create a post? Click here to learn more

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Statefree
Statefree Team
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MartinaCompanion
asked in People in the community
Hello, I´m Martina (she/her)

(in german below)I come from Germany and I know people who are stateless.I have learned from these people, what statelessness means.-In everyday life, legally and psychologically.Before that, I knew nothing about the “phenomenon of statelessness” and I suspect that manyother people in Germany don't know anything about it either.That's why I think it's absolutely important to make the issue and the associated problems, burdens and discrimination visible.Do you have any experience of how to make the issue more visible in your own city?(and, actually a minor point: Is it still possible to buy one or more statefree T-Shirts?)  Ich komme aus Deutschland und kenne Menschen, die staatenlos sind.Von diesen Menschen habe ich gelernt, was Staatenlosigkeit bedeutet.-Im Alltag, rechtlich und psychisch.Davor wußte ich vom “Phänomen Statenlosigkeit” nichts und ich vermute, vieleandere Menschen in Deutschland wissen auch nichts davon / darüber.Deswegen finde ich es eine absolut gute Idee, das Thema u

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Statefree Team
NoanaStatefree Team
published in People in the community
Staatenlos in Deutschland? Ein Fotoprojekt der Ostkreuz Schule von Patrick Stein.

Liebe Community,beigefügt findet ihr ein neues Projekt des Fotografen Patrick Stein, der seine Hauptarbeit in seiner Weiterbildung gern dem Thema Staatenlosigkeit widmen möchte. 🎯 Ziel des Projekts Sichtbarmachung der Lebensrealität staatenloser Menschen Dokumentation struktureller Ausgrenzung durch fehlende Staatsbürgerschaft Fotografisch-erzählerische Aufarbeitung individueller Geschichten 💡 Gut zu Wissen Mitgestaltung von Inhalten auf Augenhöhe Möglichkeit zur anonymen Teilnahme Sichtbarkeit und gesellschaftliche Aufmerksamkeit für die eigene gelebte Erfahrung 📦 Umfang des Projekts 5–10 Treffen über ein Jahr verteilt Kombination aus Gesprächen, Fototerminen, Alltagsbegleitung Ausstellung & ggf. Publikation als Ergebnis   Weitere Informationen findet ihr im Anhang. Gern könnt ihr euch direkt mit Patrick in Verbindung setzen, wenn euch das Projekt interessiert:Patrick Tjorven Stein0176 / 30471674hello@tjorvenstein.comwww.tjorvenstein.comLiebe GrüßeNoana von Statefre

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Anna KerimovCompanion
asked in Stories & Experiences
Stateless for Life

Thank you for creating this space.We are Anna and Yuri, stateless siblings born in the former Soviet Union. We moved to Israel in the 1990s, but were never granted citizenship there. We've now been living in Malta for over 22 years under temporary humanitarian protection.Every year, we have to renew our documents just to prove we exist, our residence cards, work permits, even our alien passports that only allow limited travel within the EU. We’ve never had a nationality. We’ve faced rejection, legal invisibility, and countless humiliations, and we’re now finally speaking up and asking for help.It gives us hope to see a community like this. If anyone here has gone through something similar, we would love to connect and exchange experiences. Thank you for making this space feel less lonely. 💛

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JenoeCompanion
posted in Questions
swiss

hey guys im Jenoe whit my lil brother Leonardo were stateless  maybe someone nows how we can get papers in Switzerland we dont have any documents or parents were born in Swiss but social organizations and other cant help us all people say ohh 2 teens but its dont us trouble cause u dont stay in any document Don’t ours problem we stay on street my bro is 13 and I’m 16

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SusanneCompanion
asked in Questions
Any experiences with Bhutan?

Hi, I am Susanne, member of a citizens' initiative in Hamburg and supporting a person from Bhutan who does not have any identification documents, which is causing difficulties with their residence status in Germany. Has anyone had any experience with this? We need proof that the country does not issue documents, or we need to credibly demonstrate this. Thank you for your help!

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Statefree Team
Statefree
Statefree Team
StatefreeStatefree Team
published in People in the community
PETITION: Bleiberecht für Alise und Petros!

👉Link zur Petition hier Wie viele Jahrzehnte braucht es, um endlich dazuzugehören?Alise und Petros wurden 1991 und 1997 als staatenlose Kinder in Deutschland geboren. Sie wuchsen hier auf, gingen zur Schule, studierten Zahnmedizin, engagieren sich ehrenamtlich – und trotzdem droht ihnen jetzt die Abschiebung. In ein Land, das sie nie als ihr Zuhause empfunden haben: den Iran.Statt Sicherheit: Ablehnung. Statt Perspektive: Abschiebung.Bitte hilf mit, diesen Albtraum zu stoppen. Denn eine Abschiebung in den Iran bedeutet:👉 Verlust für unsere Gesellschaft – beide engagieren sich in Deutschland und sind ein Gewinn für ihre Community und die Gesellschaft👉 Zerrissene Familien – die Geschwister würden voneinander und von ihrem Umfeld getrennt. Ihre gemeinsame Schwester hat die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit👉 Keine Zukunft – im Iran drohen Perspektivlosigkeit, Isolation und Repression👉 Reale Gefahr – Petros könnte zum Militärdienst gezwungen werden, Alise ist als Frau besonders gefährdetWie

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Statefree
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Lennart PetersenCompanion
asked in Questions
Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz

Hallo,sollten in Deutschland geborene Kinder staatenloser Eltern ein Anspruch auf vereinfachte Einbürgerung haben (gemäß internationalen Rechts) oder automatisch die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit erhalten (Geburtsortsprinzip)?

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Statefree
Statefree Team
StatefreeStatefree Team
published in Stories & Experiences
Neither Afghan, Nor Iranian.COMMUNITY VOICES

Part I Floating MindIt is the last day of summer, somewhere in the dusty outskirts of Tehran, around the year 2000. A group of children plays soccer in the narrow alleys, their laughter bouncing off the worn walls. Scenes like these, you might have seen in movies—children at ease, at play, untethered for the last time before tomorrow brings the weight of school. Tomorrow: a word that rings strange in my head even now, as I write. The first day of school looms, and I remember that particular day. Boys boast of their new stationery, pencils and erasers, and pens bought by loving parents. Ali, my friend, shows off his erasable pen—what a marvel! The sun sets, and I rush home, my mind only on one thing:"Mother, why didn’t you buy me new clothes or bags?” I ask, breathless with the urgency of a child.“You don’t need one,” she replies calmly, turning away.“But I do! Tomorrow is the first day of school, and everyone has new clothes,” I insist, the words tumbling out in anger and need.“You are

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Statefree
Statefree Team
Margarida
Statefree Team
MargaridaStatefree Team
published in Facts & Research
Action Research: Knowledge is power

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 b

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elisaCompanion
asked in People in the community
Voicemessage Project

Hey everyone,My name is Elisa, and I am a student at the Cologne International School of Design in Germany. For a university project, I am planning an audio-visual exhibition that will focus on personal voice messages collected from people in a variety of countries. These messages will reflect everyday worries or joys, and my goal is to identify and highlight the similarities within these experiences by juxtaposing them. The motto of the exhibition is: "Let’s focus on what unites us, not what divides us."For several years now, I have been deeply concerned about the political and social developments in Germany. It seems that xenophobia and the rejection of refugees have become alarmingly normalized. People seeking protection are often denied the dignity and empathy they deserve due to their traumas and life stories. This situation is difficult for me to understand, and through this project, I want to contribute to fostering a shift in perspective and breaking down prejudices.  I am conv

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Victoria
Statefree Team
Statefree
Statefree Team
StatefreeStatefree Team
published in Stories & Experiences
The Thing With Hope | A Story by Donel Tschibagucommunity voices

My name is Donel Tshibangu and I am currently stateless. My journey basically started back in 2018 when I turned 16, I was so excited to apply for citizenship, I felt like my world was about to start, my life shifting into a whole new direction. As my dad and I walked into the Department of home Affairs South Africa, that’s where every dream and hope of mine shattered, it was as if my life was over before it even began, all my dreams and hope fell down the drain.The officials of home affairs told me that I couldn’t apply for an ID and that I had to apply for what my parents had, which was an asylum seeker paper. That actually broke me. Both my parents are very educated people with qualifications but because of their type of document they couldn’t pursue their careers. Instead they worked for minimum wage jobs, just to survive.That then broke me. If my parents lived that kind of life with that kind of document there was obviously no hope for me either to dream big. I felt rejected by my

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Statefree
Statefree Team
Statefree
Statefree Team
StatefreeStatefree Team
published in Stories & Experiences
Imagine | تخيل - A Story by Sam Marchcommunity voices

 - written by Sam March. Find the Arabic translation belowI have been typing and deleting for hours now, trying to find the right approach to tell my story. And while it’s never easy to do so, I guess I just need to let it flow. I was born to a poor family. My mother is Lebanese but my father is stateless and also my grandfather.  Statelessness runs in the family like a disease, destroying one life after the other. If I can sum up my life with this illness in a word it would be “FEAR”. I spent the last twenty years afraid. I was scared to be sent home from school because I don’t have the right papers. I was terrified of people finding out that I am stateless. Everywhere I go, I always had to be aware and have an eye over my shoulder. I felt like a fugitive on the run but the difference is that I did no crime. I remember when I was in ninth grade and in Lebanon, the students had to go through official exams that the government organized. I was the best student, but when my application w

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Statefree
Statefree Team
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StudentlaraCompanion
asked in Questions
Search for an interview partner

Hey I am a German student and I am preparing a presentation about the topic of statelessness, I am looking for a person (preferred language: German, English) who would be willing to answer some questions about the topic in a Short Interview?

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AnnaCompanion
asked in Facts & Research
Looking for interview partners for our study on statelessness in Germany due to Palestinian origin

Dear Statefree-Community, we are four Master's students at the University of Hamburg, majoring in Criminology and Sociology. As part of a research project with the working title: “Experiences of Statelessness Among Palestinians in Germany,” we are investigating the experiences of individuals of Palestinian origin living in Germany regarding statelessness.With our study we hope to contribute to a scientific topic that is still significantly underrepresented in society as well as in academia and, in our opinion, deserves more attention.For our study, we are looking for interview partners who live in Germany and are affected by statelessness due to their Palestinian origin.  Who we are looking forWe are interested in perspectives from people who are officially considered 'stateless' (XXA) as well as from people whose nationality is regarded as 'unresolved' (XXX) by the German authorities.If you are living in Hamburg or Berlin we conduct face-to-face interviews.  If you are living further

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Majed
MajedCompanion
posted in People in the community
New member

Hello everybody, A friend of mine recommended this community for me so here I am. My name is Majed and I was born and am still a stateless (state-free) person. I live in Germany and I work as a data analyst. Please feel free to connect and inform me of any local events. Best,Majed

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MrVanfordCompanion
posted in Stories & Experiences
My Journey as a Stateless Person: Overcoming Challenges and Seeking Hope

Hello to everyone reading this post. Let me tell you a story about myself. I was born in Poland, a beautiful country where people like me aren't given much attention. Like most people in this website, I am stateless. My mother came here over 30 years ago, entering legally for work. She got involved with a man who, to put it mildly, wasn’t the best choice for a father. In short, she didn’t list him as a potential father and instead wrote down her ex-husband. She says she feared potential issues with returning to the country with me. Despite this, they were together. He adopted me. Unfortunately, he passed away before completing all the formalities. He had plenty of time to do it, but as you might guess, alcohol was a problem. They were barely making ends meet, with only my mother working. They were together for over 16 years. In this magical way, I fell into a legislative loop. Today, I am 29 years old and have managed to reach this age without any criminal proceedings. In Poland, there

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Victoria
Statefree Team
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AnnaCompanion
asked in Stories & Experiences
Looking for interview partners: study on statelessness in Germany due to Palestinian origin

Dear Statefree-Community, we are four Master's students at the University of Hamburg, majoring in Criminology and Sociology. As part of a research project with the working title: “Experiences of Statelessness Among Palestinians in Germany,” we are investigating the experiences of individuals of Palestinian origin living in Germany regarding statelessness.With our study we hope to contribute to a scientific topic that is still significantly underrepresented in society as well as in academia and, in our opinion, deserves more attention.For our study, we are looking for interview partners who live in Germany and are affected by statelessness due to their Palestinian origin.  Who we are looking forWe are interested in perspectives from people who are officially considered 'stateless' (XXA) as well as from people whose nationality is regarded as 'unresolved' (XXX) by the German authorities.If you are living in Hamburg or Berlin we conduct face-to-face interviews.  If you are living further

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ConcernedAfricanCompanion
asked in Stories & Experiences
A Cry for Human Dignity: The Plight of the Undocumented and Their Children

 Let me start with a quote, "Human rights should supersede sovereignty in matters fundamental to human existence"The international community has made significant strides in recognizing and protecting human rights. However, the gap between these enshrined principles and their practical implementation remains alarmingly wide. This document seeks to highlight the plight of a particularly vulnerable group: undocumented migrants and their children, whose fundamental rights are often disregarded.    The experience of countless individuals across the globe mirrors a distressing pattern. Many have sought better opportunities in foreign lands, only to find themselves trapped in a cycle of exploitation and uncertainty. The process of regularizing their status is often fraught with bureaucratic hurdles, exorbitant costs, and arbitrary decisions. Failure to navigate this complex system can result in severe consequences, including economic hardship, social ostracism, and separation from loved ones.

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Statefree Team
okihas
okihasCompanion
posted in People in the community
How to become statefree?

Subject: Seeking Legal Advice and Insight on Voluntary Statelessness – A Call for a Borderless WorldDear Statefree Community,I come to you as an ally, someone who has benefitted from the privileges of the current system, but has come to deeply question its foundations. As a white, privileged German, I recognize the immense injustices, hierarchies, and exclusions created by the nation-state system. While citizenship has provided me with rights and opportunities, it has also reinforced a world divided by borders and bureaucratic structures that limit our freedom as human beings.I believe in the possibility of a borderless world—a world where people are not defined by arbitrary lines on a map, where identity isn't tied to the possession of documents that bind us to a state. For this vision to become a reality, those of us with privilege must be willing to take action. I have decided to voluntarily renounce my German citizenship, not to claim another, but to become stateless in the truest

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BrandsropeCompanion
asked in Questions
Are Branded Ladies Bag Worth the Investment?

Branded ladies bag are often worth the investment due to their superior quality, unique designs, and brand prestige. However, the decision ultimately depends on personal preference and budget, the availability of branded ladies bag in Pakistan offering a range of options for consumers seeking style and durability.

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ShamusCompanion
posted in Questions
citizenship

Hello everyone, I’m brand new to this community and glad to have found it!My name is Shamus, I live in Canada, and while I do not find myself as “state free,” I have viewed myself as an advocate and friend of those who find themselves under that identification. I apologize in advance if I use inappropriate terminology, as before this community I have never actually had the privilege of speaking to anyone who is state free. During the last twelve years I have been working on something designed to bring attention towards Canada’s economy, laws, immigration, and quality of life, however it only really morphed into what it is now a handful or so years ago.My work is an alternative effort to try and provide permanent, sustainable solutions for stateless people through another take on the “refugee nation” concept with the intent of negotiating for land in Canada. At this current time, the State as a political entity exists according to and supported by international law (Charter of the Organ

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Ronja mit PCompanion
asked in Stories & Experiences
Looking for Interviewpartners

Dear Readers of the Statefree Community,My name is Ronja Pröllochs, I am studying Social Work and Language, History and Cultures of the Middle East and I am currently writing / working on my bachelor thesis on the topic of statelessness, since I worked to citizenship before and then stumbled upon this as I would say human rights problem. Since I would ideally be working on filmography, I wanted to ask if there are people without citizenship in the community who could imagine being interviewed and (potentially) filmed, if not though that would also be more than okay. I would be happy to hear from you either way. In the interviews, I would like to ask questions about the circumstances and feelings of people who are de facto or de jure stateless in order to create empathy and a greater awareness of the issue.I will be happy to answer any further questions you may have.I would be delighted to hear from youYours sincerelyRonja Pröllochs

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Ronja mit PCompanion
asked in Facts & Research
Search for Interviewpartners for Bachelor Thesis

Dear Readers of the Statefree Community,My name is Ronja Pröllochs, I am studying Social Work and Language, History and Cultures of the Middle East and I am currently writing / working on my bachelor thesis on the topic of statelessness, since I worked to citizenship before and then stumbled upon this as I would say human rights problem. Since I would ideally be working on filmography, I wanted to ask if there are people without citizenship in the community who could imagine being interviewed and (potentially) filmed, if not though that would also be more than okay. I would be happy to hear from you either way. In the interviews, I would like to ask questions about the circumstances and feelings of people who are de facto or de jure stateless in order to create empathy and a greater awareness of the issue.I will be happy to answer any further questions you may have.I would be delighted to hear from youYours sincerelyRonja Pröllochs

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