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WORLD — CLASS JOURNALISM STANDARDS HEADLINE: “Asia’s Stateless: 16. 9M Face Existential Crisis “BODY: In Asia, an estimated 16. 9 million individuals grapple with displacement, statelessness, or the quest for asylum.
This figure includes 6. 4 million refugees and asylum-seekers, 6. 9 million internally displaced persons, and 2.
6 million stateless individuals, accounting for 58% of the global stateless population. These numbers, while stark, only begin to paint a picture of the human cost. Each figure represents a life, often one that lacks the legal documentation necessary for basic human rights and freedoms.
Hasina Rahman, Deputy Regional Director for Asia at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), carries these figures with her on every visit to camps, meetings with donors and governments. She witnessed firsthand the plight of those without legal identity in Bangladesh, and now, in her regional role, she is working across Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Malaysia, where the same challenges persist.
The absence of legal documentation and registration translates into profound suffering, particularly for women, girls, youth, and people with disabilities. These groups face restricted movement, limited access to services, and increased vulnerability to exploitation and abuse. Rahman’s journey has taken her to camps along the Thailand-Myanmar border, to Cox’s Bazar’s host communities, to Afghanistan’s returnee corridors, and to the urban fringes of Kuala Lumpur, where the impact of a single missing document is palpable.
In Thailand, the recent decision to grant registered Myanmar refugees the legal right to work marks a significant step forward. This recognition that documentation is the foundation of dignity and self-reliance has been advocated for by the IRC Thailand team, and they continue to work with the Royal Thai Government to ensure that registration and work permits lead to tangible protection outcomes.
However, Thailand’s progress underscores the broader challenges that remain.
In Myanmar, conflict and the legacy of statelessness continue to rob communities of legal identity.
In Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar remain without citizenship, reliant on registration for basic assistance but not for rights or a future.
In Pakistan, Afghan refugees live with uncertain status, vulnerable to policy shifts.
In Afghanistan, the return of millions has created a documentation crisis. And in Malaysia, undocumented refugees face years of legal limbo, excluded from formal employment and education. Despite the differences in countries, legal systems, and politics, one pattern remains consistent: legal documentation is the linchpin between protection on paper and protection in practice.
At the IRC, legal documentation is seen as protection infrastructure, enabling cash transfers, access to education, justice for survivors, and the potential for refugees to build a future.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: reliefweb
Source: International Rescue Committee
