Sample Travel Document for the Stateless
“haha… i love when americans have issues with visas … ” wrote a West African friend when I told him I could not renew my visa and had to leave China, “just because i go through special registration and crap and never know if i can come back. and i’m [secretly] jealous of the facility one has as an american.”
True, it’s easier for us than most, but then there is another realm of visas and passports and labyrinthine bureaucratic proceedings that not even my West African friend trying to get the best U.S. education has had to face: statelessness. It was not until recently that I realized that two of my friends do not have passports, and in conversations with one of those stateless friends overseas, these few, stunning facts emerged:
- You can be stateless. That is, you cannot claim to be a national of any state under its laws. You do not have a passport, and you cannot easily get one, either.
- You would be in good company. About 15 million people around the globe would be in your company, according to the UNHCR, and many of them would be refugees. Not all refugees are stateless, however, and not all of the stateless — including my two friends — are refugees. My friends are college-educated, from top American schools, and while one is in a PhD program in the UK the other is happily working in Canada.
- You can need a visa for every country on earth. Even the one in which you were born. Even the one in which your parents were both born. You could never secure one on-site, of course, never in the airport and never without a host of added documents.
- You can be the only one in your family who is utterly stateless. My friend has an uncle in the U.S., through whom his entire family applied for green cards. They started the process when my friend was 10 or 12, but by the time they got it, he had just turned 21 and could no longer be considered a dependent. He’d have to apply all over again. Thus, his parents and sisters, who are also stateless, have green cards and with it the ability to work in the U.S. whenever they chose. My friend is the only one left utterly stateless, without any benefits.
- Marriage — presumably to a state-full, passport-carrying citizen — may be the quickest and easiest way out of it. “Find a nice girl” was the salient piece of advice one of my stateless friends received. He talked with a Canadian diplomat about his chances for immigrating, “We went through the options . . . skilled migrant, employment visa, etc. but spousal connection was by far the easiest . . . I should have asked if he had a daughter.”
so… mmm… for the record:
1. I am actually openly jealous of the facility one has as an American
2. for the ladies: I am not actually that mean
3. for the ladies as well: I actually was also stateless all my life (UNHCR travel document) until about 3 years ago
4. still for the ladies: if you are American (green card holder would also work), I think we might have met before and I forgot to tell you I liked you
for the record: your words, not mine.
you misspelled “secretly,” so the proper spelling is in brackets. but you’re still a catch. my young gorgeous friends with passports and green cards should all want to marry you. soon. for the record.
This is quite amusing – i actually sent a certain stateless mutual friend of ours here in Haifa a questionaire about statelessness to fill out for both my personal interest sake and for posting on blog purposes. He FINALLY filled it out after i told him about your post:
Whats the coolest thing about being stateless?
Some people think you’re a spy.
Whats the crappiest?
Not being able to travel easily.
Is being stateless lonely?
No.
Do you feel a citizen of a particular place?
No. But that doesn’t mean there are no places where I feel at home.
If you could pick any country to be a citizen of, which would it be?
Maltese, because I’m pretty sure it’s a fictional place.
Arent you glad you’re not american? (You dont have to answer that)
Yes. (You don’t have to publicise that.)
Do you conveniently play allegiance to different countries depending on the situation?
Only in terms of supporting their football teams. Spain, I’m looking at you.
Is statelessness superior to citizenship?
If citizenship is contributing to blind patriotism, then a lack of nationality can be a good thing. However, given that citizenship and global cosmopolitanism can co-exist, no.
Is statelessness the way of the future?
Statelessness as a state of mind, yes. Statelessness as a form of paperwork, no.
If statelessness had flag, what would it look like?
It could be made of paper and covered in official-looking stamps.
If statelessness had a passport, what colour would it be?
Paul Smith stripes, with a globe design, on a sturdy leather cover.
If statelessness had a stereotype, what would it be?
Stateless people: we’ll marry for citizenship.
Thanks for your time.
You’re welcome.