Impact of COVID-19 on Stateless Communities

The 54 page report, “Impact of COVID-19 on Stateless Communities in Pakistan”  produced with support from the COVID-19 Emergency Statelessness Fund (CESF) Consortium and the Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion documents how the pandemic and state responses exacerbated the marginalization of stateless community, particularly in Karachi. It highlights challenges such as loss of livelihoods, exclusion from relief efforts, lack of access to identity documents and education, and increased gender-based violence. Drawing on fieldwork and stakeholder interviews, the report notes that while Pakistan’s COVID-19 policy included stateless persons in principle, implementation gaps left many without support. It calls for inclusive legal reforms and emergency planning that recognize the vulnerabilities of stateless populations.