Statelessness, the situation where a person is not recognized by any State as a citizen, is an often overlooked or misunderstood issue that has devastating impacts on millions of people around the world. The United States is home to an estimated 218,000 people who are stateless or potentially at risk of statelessness in all 50 states, according to the Center for Migration Studies 2020 report, Statelessness in the United States: A Study to Estimate and Profile the US Stateless Population.

SILVER SPRING, Maryland — People move, but sometimes borders do too. Countries disappear, new countries emerge. Tyrannical governments strip some people of their citizenship. Others deny babies access to citizenship at birth. People without a country that claims them are “stateless,” and with statelessness comes a host of constraints that make it nearly impossible for them to travel, prosper, and live free lives.