Statelessness in the Asia-Pacific Region is a key research priority for the Centre.
The Asia-Pacific region hosts some of the largest stateless populations in the world. Given its location in Australia, the Centre has made the region a priority for its research efforts. We aim to foster the development of regional research and teaching capacities on statelessness and have been involved in a number of collaborative projects.
Most recently, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore, the first comparative edited volume on ‘Statelessness in Asia’ was published in December 2024.
This interdisciplinary collection, edited by Michelle Foster, Jaclyn Neo (National University of Singapore) and Christoph Sperfeldt, provides the first book-length treatment of statelessness in the region.
It aims to fill a critical gap in understanding statelessness in Asia, offering a unique interdisciplinary and comprehensive set of perspectives. This book brings case studies and expertise together to explore statelessness in Asia, itself a diverse region, and offers new insights as to what it means to be, de facto and de jure, stateless. In identifying key points of similarities and divergences across the region, as well as critical nodes for comparisons, this book aims to provide fresh frameworks for comparative research in this area.
Some other recent examples of the Centre's research activities are included below and on our publications list.
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Many of the research efforts of current PhD students associated with the Centre are focused on countries in Asia such as Syria, Thailand, Japan, India, and Malaysia.
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The Statelessness Asia-Pacific (SAP) Network provides a platform for researchers interested in statelessness within the Asia-Pacific region to connect and share knowledge and ideas.
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Refugee Protection in Southeast Asia: Between Humanitarianism and Sovereignty (Berghahn Books 2024), edited by Susan Kneebone, Reyvi Mariñas, Antje Missbach and Max Walden, explores humanitarian responses on the one hand and the meaning and use of state sovereignty on the other, in responses to refugee protection in Southeast Asia. It contains essays from interdisciplinary and theoretical perspectives from researchers on Southeast Asia.
The publication of this book was commemorated with an online launch event on 18 June 2025.
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In 2023, The Government of Malaysia proposed legislative changes to its citizenship provisions in the Federal Constitution. PMCS prepared a commentary on the proposed changes.
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India is in the midst of a crisis around citizenship and statelessness. Following a citizenship verification process, almost two million people have been left out of the state-run National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state of Assam, augmenting risks of statelessness. The Indian Parliament has also enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 - which differentiates between religious groups in the provision of citizenship.
The Centre produced two briefing notes with an analysis of the issues:
Citizenship, Constitutionalism and Civil Liberties - A Briefing Note on Recent Developments in India