Statelessness is an overlooked and often invisible issue playing out in the context of refugee arrivals to Europe every day. Although the figures demonstrate that the group concerned is significant, the EU has yet to develop a dedicated response to identify and address the specific needs of stateless refugees. Moreover, most countries in Europe are inadequately prepared to respond. As a result, stateless refugees are more likely to experience discrimination and adverse treatment due to the failure of states to properly identify or take their nationality problems into account.
In early 2019, the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion (ISI), the European Network on Statelessness (ENS) and ASKV Refugee Support published a report, "From Syria to Europe", exposing the experience of stateless Kurds and stateless Palestinians from Syria at different stages of their journey. In these #StatelessJourneys podcasts – one in Arabic and one in English – we hear from some of the individuals affected. Through their stories, they highlight the realities for stateless refugees from Syria in Europe.
You can listen to the podcasts below or find them in itunes or your preferred podcast App. We'd love to hear you your questions, comments and ideas about the issues raised – join the conversation via the hashtag #StatelessJourneys.