Asia Why does Asia have millions of stateless people? Millions of people in Asia are not citizens of any country, and they live without legal rights or protection. Although modern conflicts shape the problem, statelessness is rooted in Asia's colonial past. Rohingya refugees at a camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh -- universities and research institutions: "It is very likely that the NRC process will cause great and long-lasting suffering associated with statelessness." Read more: India citizenship lists: Nearly 2 million face statelessness Watch video 02:16 -- The Rohingya are considered to be one of the most persecuted minority groups in the world, and they are de facto stateless. Experts and the UN agree that statelessness exacerbates their precarious situation. Since 2017, the Rohingya have been violently forced from their homes in -- cleansing." The situation of the Rohingya and the threatened statelessness of almost 2 million people in Assam are a consequence of the eventful history of Asia in the 21st century and the restrictive civil rights in -- Read more: Rohingya people in Myanmar: What you need to know The roots of statelessness Before the arrival of European colonialists, the idea of a nation state -- states. Read more: Rohingya crisis demonstrates consequences of statelessness Between 1945 and 1950, the new states had to adopt new citizenship laws -- Secondly, none of the countries in question offers simplified naturalization. This means that refugees and stateless persons have no chance of changing their status for generations. -- or these were lost as people fled. The poor and landless often find themselves stateless as land ownership remains the best way of proving This very practical dimension is discussed far too little in India and Myanmar. -- The current political climate in Asia also contributes to millions of stateless people. Still, India, Bangladesh and Myanmar have not signed any of the three UN conventions on the protection of refugees or stateless persons. Watch video 02:24 -- * Author Rodion Ebbighausen * Related Subjects Asia, Rohingya, Migration, Refugees * Keywords Asia, statelessness, Rohingya, migration, refugees * Send us your feedback. * Print Print this page