Having no state. 2. Not having any recognized citizenship in a state or nation. state′less·ness n.

What is an example of statelessness?

Denied paperwork, stateless persons cannot access housing, education, healthcare or employment. Even relatively simple things like opening a bank account, getting a driving licence or getting married are unavailable to them. They are 'legal ghosts', slipping through the nets of bureaucracy.

Is statelessness legal?

Home Secretary Theresa May has said that the UK will not remove citizenship from IS fighters born in the UK as "it is illegal for any country to make its citizens stateless". ... The law says that the Home Secretary should have a "reasonable belief" that those being stripped of their nationality will not become stateless.