Nationality for All (NFA) and the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness (PMCS) have jointly submitted recommendations to the United Nations Human Rights Council ahead of Australia’s Fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in January–February 2026.
This submission calls for Australia to take decisive action to uphold the rights of stateless persons, ensuring no one in the country lives in legal limbo without recognition or protection.
🔍 Key Recommendations Include:
- Establishing a Statelessness Determination Procedure (SDP) to formally identify and protect stateless persons
- Creating a dedicated visa category that provides a clear pathway to permanent residency and naturalisation
- Ensuring alternatives to detention and preventing prolonged or arbitrary detention of stateless people
- Strengthening safeguards in citizenship deprivation laws to avoid rendering individuals stateless
- Integrating statelessness considerations in climate-related migration agreements, such as the Falepili Union Treaty with Tuvalu
While Australia has pledged to address statelessness at the UNHCR Global Refugee Forum (2023), implementation remains crucial. With nearly 7,000 stateless persons currently residing in Australia, many remain without legal status, protection, or access to basic rights.
This submission urges the government to move beyond commitment, toward legislative and systemic change that ensures every person has the right to belong.
