Stateless Children

RACS has a dedicated legal program assisting stateless children born in Australia to apply for citizenship.

Children born in Australia to stateless parents are sometimes given temporary protection visas, which means they can’t access the freedoms citizens have, such as being able to vote in elections and going to university without paying international student fees.

They are continually needing to re-apply for one temporary protection visa after another, as these expire every few years. This situation creates stress, insecurity and vulnerability.

RACS recognises and understands the need to ensure refugee children can access their rights. We work to support stateless children and their families throughout this process.

This program operates with the support of the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness and the Melbourne Law School Clinics at the University of Melbourne.

“Citizenship to me means protection and certainty for my children. Without it, I fear they have no future.”

— Amir, stateless Palestinian father of four

The Refugee Advice & Casework Service (RACS) and Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness have partnered to conduct ground-breaking research into the legal needs, barriers and gaps experienced by stateless refugee children and their families in accessing and acquiring Australian citizenship.

The report is co-authored by Katie Robertson, Research Fellow at the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness, and Sarah Dale, Centre Director and Principal Solicitor of the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS).

Download the Stateless Children Report

Thank you to VMLY&R for producing this video, pro bono