1. Reported Stateless Persons
There is a lack of reliable statistics on the stateless population in Pakistan as estimates by government agencies vary widely. Pakistan reported a population of 55 stateless persons to UNHCR in 2022. Statelessness is prevalent among ethnic Bengalis, Afghan refugees, Urdu-speaking Biharis, and Rohingyas, with unofficial stateless population estimates contrasting greatly from the government-reported number at as high as 3 million people (comprising approximately 2 million ethnic Bengalis and as many as 1.4 million Afghan Refugees). Pakistan also hosts a large number of undocumented persons, of which many are stateless or at risk of statelessness.
| Country | 2019 (year start) | 2020 (year end) | 2021 (year end) | 2022 (year end) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | – | – | 47 | 55 |
Source: UNHCR, Global Trends: Forced Displacement from 2019-2022.
2. Persons at Risk of Statelessness
The Hazara ethnic minority community in Pakistan has previously faced discrimination in receiving passports. However, in 2023, the Supreme Court, as a response to growing protest from the Hazara community ruled that all children born in Pakistan have the right to citizenship by birth. Previously, the Hazara community were required to get a signature from a member of the National Assembly in order to be issued a passport. Over 6 million people of the Hazara ethnic group reside in Pakistan. The Gypsy (Roma) community may also be at risk of statelessness in Pakistan due to lack of identity documentation and access to services.
3. Stateless Refugee
In 2021, Pakistan reported 47 stateless refugees to UNHCR. However, this figure sits far below reported estimates by independent bodies and journalists of between 55,000 and 500,000. A recent statement by a spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Office suggested that as many as 400,000 Rohingya refugees may be in Pakistan. A joint UPR submission for Pakistan highlighted that around 400,000 to 500,000 Rohingya refugees have been reported in the country. Much of the Rohingya population in Pakistan have been impacted by the separation of east and west Pakistan and the subsequent creation of Bangladesh.
Both Rohingya and Afghan refugees have been excluded from efforts to provide Pakistani citizenship to stateless persons. Afghan refugees in Pakistan have experienced harassment and discrimination as well as a lack of citizenship rights in Pakistan. As many Afghan refugees arrived in Pakistan decades ago, much of the population is experiencing intergenerational statelessness and have been born and raised in Pakistan. However, limited research is available on the current status of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
4. Undetermined Nationalities
Bengali-speaking and Bihari communities hold an uncertain status in Pakistan, with limited information available on their citizenship status. The community largely consists of persons repatriated to Pakistan following Bangladeshi independence (and their descendants), some of whom hold passports and documentation, yet continue to face discrimination and exclusion. An estimated 3 million Bengali speakers are living in Pakistan, but 70-80% do not hold any identity documentation. The population had been provided with manual ID cards since 1973; however, in the process of digitization of civil registration in Pakistan, Bengali-speaking and Bihari individuals were registered as ‘aliens’. While registered as ‘aliens’, they are often denied citizenship under the previous interpretation of Pakistan’s jus soli provision. While the National Assembly has promised to provide legal status to this population by re-verifying blocked ID cards and eventually providing Computerized National Identity Cards, substantial action towards this promise is yet to be seen.
