This research project is a response to the lack of information on the citizenship or statelessness status of nomadic groups globally and the challenges these groups face in this regard.
The Centre embarked on a research project on ‘nomadic peoples and statelessness’, as a response to the lack of information on the citizenship or statelessness status of nomadic and mobile groups globally and the challenges these groups face in this regard. This research consisted of a desk study, including a review of the existing literature on citizenship and documentation issues faced by nomadic groups, as well as focused field research of three nomadic or formerly nomadic groups. In collaboration with local partners, field research has been carried out in Thailand/Myanmar, Cote d’Ivoire and Lebanon. Additional activities have been conducted at Melbourne Law School, including a roundtable on mobile marine populations in Southeast Asia and hosting visiting fellows with expertise in this area. The project resulted in a policy report for international agencies and work is ongoing on a series of country-level academic and policy outputs.
Publications associated with this project are listed below:
- Christoph Sperfeldt, ‘Statelessness and Governance at the Periphery: Nomadic Populations and the Modern State in Thailand, Cote d’Ivoire and Lebanon’ in Tendayi Bloom and Lindsey Kingston (eds), Statelessness and Governance: Rights, Identity, Citizenship (Manchester University Press, in press)
For further information about this project, please contact the team via law-statelessness@unimelb.edu.au