Hidden in Plain Sight: Stateless Communities in the United States and Pakistan

Stateless persons are those who do not have citizenship or nationality of any country in the world. Statelessness can occur as a result of a number of factors, including border disputes, discriminatory citizenship laws, and administrative hurdles. It is estimated that there are approximately 10 million stateless persons across the world – much higher than the officially reported statistic of 4.4 million, due to the lack of data. Stateless persons are very often undocumented, because of governments’ refusal to issue them identity documents – even birth certificates – resulting in statelessness being inherited. The lack of documentation in turn, means that stateless communities are deprived of access to most basic human rights, including education, healthcare, and housing.

It is estimated that there are over 200,000 stateless persons living in the United States, and approximately 3 million in Pakistan. Though the two countries have vastly different historical, political, cultural and economic contexts, the similarities in the causes of statelessness, challenges faced by stateless communities and hurdles to resolving statelessness, are striking. Join Karina Ambartsoumian-Clough and Hiba Thobani to understand more about the legal frameworks that perpetuate statelessness, as well as the work being done to end statelessness in the United States and Pakistan.

Karina Ambartsoumian-Clough, of Armenian and Ukrainian heritage, became stateless when the U.S.S.R. dissolved. Navigating the complexities of living stateless in the United States for 27 years, Karina has become a powerful advocate and community organizer, culminating in her role as a founding member and inaugural Executive Director of United Stateless (USL). Under her leadership, USL stands as the only U.S. organization solely dedicated to addressing statelessness, driven by her steadfast belief that those directly impacted should lead the way, bringing forward their lived expertise to guide change.

In the past five years, Karina has led USL in prioritizing community building, expanding its legal clinic, and tirelessly advocating for the enactment of the Stateless Protection Act. Her work has been instrumental in securing attention from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, resulting in a historic policy initiative to protect stateless individuals in the United States. Recognized for her relentless dedication, Karina received the 2020 Women’s Refugee Commission Voices of Courage Award, the 2021 Women Leading the 175th Award from Pennsylvania State Representative Mary Isaacson, and the 2024 Women’s Community Catalyst Award from We Are All America.

Hiba Thobani is an alumnus of the HLS LL.M Class of 2019. For the last decade she has practiced as a human rights lawyer and advocate in Karachi, Pakistan, providing legal advice and representation to vulnerable communities, including survivors of violence and those who are stateless or undocumented. Since 2019, she has worked with the Karachi based NGO, Imkaan Welfare Organisation’s legal aid center – the only project in the country that provides pro bono legal services to stateless communities – first as Supervisor of the center, and now as an advisory member. The center’s work, including the provision of legal advice, counselling, and legal representation has facilitated over 200 stateless persons to obtain or clear identity documents since the center’s inception.

Parallel to her work at the center, Hiba continues to work extensively on legal rights education. She is an advocate against sexual harassment at work spaces and educational institutions, conducting training workshops and providing legal advice and representation to complainants of harassment before the provincial ombudsman. She is also an adjunct law lecturer at various universities in Karachi, with a focus on criminal law and human rights.