Statelessness and nationality in South Africa

Published: 1/Mar/2013
Source: Lawyers for Human Rights

In South Africa, which had the highest number of new asylum-seekers in the world in 2008, stateless migrants are inevitably present. What is surprising is that many people born on South African territory are also unable to access nationality in any nation.

This report is intended to reveal and draw attention to the plight of stateless persons in South Africa. Section 2 provides a brief background on the definition of « stateless person ». Section 3 outlines some overarching causes of statelessness around the African continent. Section 4 describes the main populations of concern in South Africa, explaining why they are struggling to access nationality and including the personal stories of a number of stateless persons.

Download: LHR Statelessness and Nationality in South Africa 2013

Link to LHR website.

Themes: Acquisition de la nationalité, Apatridie, Pièces d'identité
Regions: Afrique du Sud, Afrique australe
Year: 2013