The Nationality and Statelessness of Nomadic Peoples Under International Law

Despite the universal right to nationality, many nomadic peoples struggle to claim this fundamental status. International law offers solutions to combat statelessness-like birth registration-but do they work for nomadic peoples? The Nationality and Statelessness of Nomadic Peoples Under International Law delves into the nationality challenges faced by four communities: former Bedouin in Kuwait, Tuareg in Mali, Fulani in Côte d'Ivoire, and Sama Dilaut (Bajau Laut) in Malaysia. Drawing on diverse sources from across disciplines, as well as original field research, the book traces the roots of nomadic statelessness from colonization to the present. Through a rigorous legal analysis, the book evaluates how effectively international law addresses these underlying issues and safeguards the right to nationality for those whose lifestyles transcend borders and conventional nation-state structures. Finally, the book proposes reforms to international law to better address the needs of nomadic peoples regarding nationality and citizenship.

1 - Introduction
2 - Antinomadic Bias and Nomadic Perspectives in Academia
3 - Nomadic Peoples and Civil Registration under International Law
4 - Prohibiting Discrimination in Nationality Law against Nomadic Peoples
5 - The Right to a Nationality for Indigenous Persons
6 - Identifying Nomadic Persons as Stateless for the Purposes of a Solution under International Law
7 - Conclusion

Heather Jean Alexander is a human rights lawyer and an expert on statelessness, nationality, refugee law, climate displacement, and human rights. Heather has fifteen years of experience working with refugees and stateless people in Côte d'Ivoire, Australia, Gabon, Chad, Sri Lanka, Kosovo, and the United States, including with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She has worked as a researcher for Carleton University, the University of Melbourne, the European University, and the US State Department. Heather was a founding board member of United Stateless, an advocacy network for stateless people in the United States, and is a current board member of the Canadian Centre on Statelessness.