European Network on Statelessness

General information

Statelessness affects more than 10 million people around the world and at least 600,000 in Europe alone. To be stateless is not to be recognised as a citizen by any state. Yet statelessness remains a relatively hidden and little understood issue. With both government and civil society organisations often unaware of the problem, many stateless persons find themselves stuck in the margins of society without respect for their basic human rights. ENS's mission is critical because despite the scale of the problem, and the fact that all EU member states have ratified (or pledged to ratify) the 1954 Statelessness Convention, there remains an acute absence of effective national frameworks to deal with statelessness. As such there currently exists a huge gulf between national protection provided under legal standards and the actual realisation of those rights in practice.

This has left many stateless persons vulnerable to discrimination and human rights abuse. Unable to work, receive healthcare and access social support systems, stateless people in Europe are often destitute and exploited. In many countries, stateless migrants are held in immigration detention for long periods -sometimes indefinitely- simple because there is no country to return them to. Breaking the vicious circle of destitution and detention requires law and policy reform. Moreover, Europe is still a "producer"of statelessness. It is unacceptable that children are still born stateless within the region, and there is a clear need to promote more effective implementation of relevant safeguards. ENS was set up against this backdrop and to fill a perceived gap by acting as a coordinating body and expert resource for organisations across Europe who work or come into contact with stateless persons.

To see a full list of our members please visit: http://www.statelessness.eu/about-us/members/member-organisations