Education for the Stateless

To be stateless is to be ignored as a member of society and disqualified from many of the most basic services. It is, at its essence, to belong nowhere, also referred to as “legal non-existence.” In Thailand, stateless people may be the children of illegal immigrants, or they may belong to an unrecognized tribe. Whatever the circumstance, the result is often the same: almost complete disenfranchisement. One notable exception, however, is the opportunity for many stateless children to go to school, which can offer a pathway to citizenship. ADRA continues to enroll stateless children in schools, and fight for their basic rights as humans.