The boy does not know his place.
He does not know he is different. Inferior.
He thinks he is equal.
He thinks he can dream.
We can’t really blame the boy. Well… not fully.
He is just 10.
His needs are simple. His dreams, fantastical.
It is the parents.
They have not taught him well.
This boy will be trouble.
He has no fear. He will fight for his rights.
And he is likeable.
This boy who is inferior, will rise above.
He connects at the human level.
This is dangerous.
We must regroup, strategize, hit back.
When he dreams, we must crush his spirit.
When he connects, we must put up barriers.
When he is happy, we must make him sad.
When he doubts, we must swoop in for the kill.
We need a label. We must show he is different. Inferior.
We need to show him. We need to show us.
Rohingya. Haitian. Kurd. Palestinian. Russian.
Any of the above would do.
We need a status. We must show he does not belong. He has no claim.
We need to show him. We need to show us.
Migrant. Illegal. Refugee. Stateless. Displaced. Criminal.
Any combination would do.
We need a motivation. We must justify our decisions.
We need to show him. We need to show us.
His mother is unequal. His ancestors are not from here. He will steal our jobs.
Any one would do.
We need consequences. We must attach a cost to inferiority. To not belonging.
We need to show him. We need to show us.
Some education, but poor.
Some healthcare that keeps him alive, but malnourished.
Some movement, but not across borders.
Some documentation, but not the right kind.
Some hope, that flickers and fades.
We are not inhuman after all.
Gihan de Chickera
* Despite the right of every child to a nationality being guaranteed under international law, childhood statelessness impacts the lives and futures of millions of children in all parts of the world. Childhood statelessness has been described as being antithetical to the best interests of the child. By addressing it head on, not only will countless children be better placed to access other human rights, but great strides would be made towards addressing statelessness around the world. Below are some ways in which you can learn more about and/or contribute to efforts to address childhood statelessness around the world:
- The theme of this year’s UNHCR NGO Consultations (Geneva 15-17 June) is Youth, and the Statelessness Food for Thought Session will be focussed around questions posed directly to UNHCR and NGOs, by stateless children and youth from around the world. If you work with stateless children or youth and would like to submit questions from them, please email
- The ENS StatelessKids# Youth Congress will be in held in Brussels from 11-14 July 2016
- The Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion will be launching its Toolkit for Civil Society on “Addressing the right to a nationality and the rights of stateless children through the Committee on the Rights of the Child”, on 16 June 2016 in Geneva. Await further announcements for more information on the Toolkit and launch event.
