In the context of a global pandemic, stateless persons are more vulnerable than ever. Without nationality, stateless persons are often denied access to healthcare and a range of other social welfare services. Now they also face obstacles in accessing coronavirus testing and treatment.
Additionally, considerable numbers of stateless people are being held in prolonged pre-removal detention on the basis that they are considered “illegal” migrants, although there is no country to deport them to. This not only violates their right to liberty, but also increases the risk of infection, as doctors and medical associations around the world have raised concerns about the potential of COVID-19 to spread within these centers.
In response to these challenges, UNHCR issued a guidance with recommendations and good practices, urging Governments worldwide to pay urgent attention to the plight of millions of stateless people and to guarantee their inclusion in the fight with COVID-19.
Here are some of the recommendations:
- Making health services, including COVID-19 testing and treatment, accessible for all regardless of citizenship status or legal resident status.
- Creating a firewall between health and immigration services during this period to enable stateless people to access services without fear and risk of arrest or detention.
- Ensuring stateless people’s inclusion in COVID-19 information campaigns, considering location, language and communication preferences.
- Designating civil registration activities, including birth registration, as ‘essential’ services, allowing their continuation and minimizing the risk that people may end up stateless owing to a lack of legal proof of identity or entitlement to nationality.
- Refraining from placing stateless people in pre-removal detention and considering the release of those detained for reasons related to their stateless status.
- Ensuring that response measures do not fuel xenophobia and racial discrimination.
- Extending financial support packages to all who are resident on the territory who meet the vulnerability criteria, regardless of legal status.
An effective response to COVID -19 must be inclusive and that means including stateless people without discriminating them just because they simply “do not exist on paper”. This is the only way to bring the virus under control.
A full list of recommendations is available here: www.refworld.org/docid/5eb2a72f4.html
Also see the UNHCR Press Release here: https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2020/5/5eb952222ec/unhcr-warns-stateless-people-risk-behind-coronavirus-response.html
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