Introduction

Conducting research on refugees, asylum seekers and stateless individuals is notoriously difficult. Not only are such populations often out of reach – understandably, individuals faced with the threat of removal often live clandestinely – but, with the exception of Estonia, there is little official information recorded on the populations of interest to this project. Estimates of de facto stateless individuals in the European Union vary widely and, with the introduction of increasingly restrictive laws on asylum and the cancellation of support and assistance to those without status, there are few direct ways of accessing vulnerable individuals who may be de facto stateless. The twin challenges of exploration and experimentation therefore shaped this project which sought to develop understanding of this uncharted area, the lives of de facto stateless people in Europe.

Given the lack of empirical investigations of stateless people in general, the research team reviewed some of the conclusions generated from social scientific research on the experiences of asylum seekers in order to evaluate the potential application of exploratory styles of research for this project. A central premise of this research is that, while the legal situations of stateless people and asylum seekers are legally distinct, commentary on the increasing restrictions on asylum seekers highlights some relevant problems regarding the ways in which vulnerable populations may access rights to educate their children, secure decent housing and receive healthcare.