The report 'Understanding Statelessness in Australia' documents the findings and recommendations of the first comprehensive study of statelessness in Australia.
Despite the fact that stateless people have for decades sought protection in Australia—in some years in considerable numbers—they are for the most part not officially ‘counted’ or recognized by government agencies. Not only does this suggest a protection gap for stateless people in Australia, it presents a serious challenge to robust, transparent and principled public administration.
The report 'Understanding Statelessness in Australia' is the culmination of a multi-year research project carried out with the support of a Discovery Project grant from the Australian Research Council. The report documents the findings and recommendations of the first comprehensive study of statelessness in Australia.
Applying a comprehensive approach, involving analysis of hundreds of tribunal and court decisions, interviews with a range of stakeholders including lawyers, health workers, policy experts, community workers, UNHCR Australia officers, government department officers and people with lived experience of statelessness, this report represents one of the most comprehensive studies of statelessness globally.