Once a dream, citizenship puts medical career within reach
University seemed like an impossible dream for 21-year-old Nazir, who was born stateless in Kyrgyzstan. Now he can finally study medicine. By Kate Bond in Osh, the Kyrgyz Republic In the shadow of her small, square clay brick house, Sanabar Khatamova hums softly as...
2019 Nansen Refugee Award ‘a symbol of hope’ for the world’s stateless
Lawyer Azizbek Ashurov spent over a decade helping the Kyrgyz Republic to resolve all known cases of statelessness in a historic first. By Kate Bond in Geneva, Switzerland A lawyer who spent over a decade championing the rights of more than 10,000 stateless people in...
After decades in the shadows, stateless activist says ‘finally I exist’
Actress and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett interviews statelessness activist Maha Mamo about her 30-year-push to belong. Activist Maha Mamo’s face lights up as she recalls the moment a year ago when Brazil granted her citizenship, ending her 30-year quest to...