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UID:20241115T2218Z-1731709111.8477-EO-678416-1@10.73.8.183
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SUMMARY: Hidden in Plain Sight: Stateless Communities in the United States
and Pakistan
DESCRIPTION: Stateless persons are those who do not have citizenship or nat
ionality of any country in the world. Statelessness can occur as a result o
f a number of factors\, including border disputes\, discriminatory citizens
hip laws\, and administrative hurdles. It is estimated that there are appro
ximately 10 million stateless persons across the world – much higher than t
he […]
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html: Stateless persons are those who do not h
ave citizenship or nationality of any country in the world. Statelessness c
an occur as a result of a number of factors\, including border disputes\, d
iscriminatory citizenship laws\, and administrative hurdles. It is estimate
d that there are approximately 10 million stateless persons across the worl
d - much higher than the officially reported statistic of 4.4 million\, due
to the lack of data. Stateless persons are very often undocumented\, becau
se of governments' refusal to issue them identity documents - even birth ce
rtificates - resulting in statelessness being inherited. The lack of docume
ntation in turn\, means that stateless communities are deprived of access t
o most basic human rights\, including education\, healthcare\, and housing.
It is estimated that there are over 200\,000 stateles
s persons living in the United States\, and approximately 3 million in Paki
stan. Though the two countries have vastly different historical\, political
\, cultural and economic contexts\, the similarities in the causes of state
lessness\, challenges faced by stateless communities and hurdles to resolvi
ng statelessness\, are striking. Join Karina Ambartsoumian-Clough and Hiba
Thobani to understand more about the legal frameworks that perpetuate state
lessness\, as well as the work being done to end statelessness in the Unite
d States and Pakistan.
Panelists
Karina Ambartsoumian-Cl
ough\, of Armenian and Ukrainian heritage\, became stateless when th
e U.S.S.R. dissolved. Navigating the complexities of living stateless in th
e United States for 27 years\, Karina has become a powerful advocate and co
mmunity organizer\, culminating in her role as a founding member and inaugu
ral Executive Director of United Stateless (USL). Under her leadership\, US
L stands as the only U.S. organization solely dedicated to addressing state
lessness\, driven by her steadfast belief that those directly impacted shou
ld 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 e
nactment of the Stateless Protection Act. Her work has been instrumental in
securing attention from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security\, resulti
ng in a historic policy initiative to protect stateless individuals in the
United States. Recognized for her relentless dedication\, Karina received t
he 2020 Women’s Refugee Commission Voices of Courage Award\, the 2021 Women
Leading the 175th Award from Pennsylvania State Representative Mary Isaacs
on\, and the 2024 Women’s Community Catalyst Award from We Are All America.
Hib
a 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 communi
ties\, including survivors of violence and those who are stateless or undoc
umented. Since 2019\, she has worked with the Karachi based NGO\, Imkaan We
lfare Organisation’s legal aid center – the only project in the country tha
t provides pro bono legal services to stateless communities – first as Supe
rvisor of the center\, and now as an advisory member. The center’s work\, i
ncluding the provision of legal advice\, counselling\, and legal representa
tion 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 ins
titutions\, conducting training workshops and providing legal advice and re
presentation to complainants of harassment before the provincial ombudsman.
She is also an adjunct law lecturer at various universities in Karachi\, w
ith a focus on criminal law and human rights.