Many people take their birth certificate or similar official documents for granted, hidden away in a drawer and rarely seen. However, for those without one, this can mean a life in the shadows or an uncertain existence. This is believed to affect millions of people worldwide, described as stateless, and Arnold Ncube, a 25-year-old South African, is one of them. Because he has no state documents, washing cars in the alleyways of Thembisa township, near Johannesburg, is one of the few ways he can earn a living. Ncube was born in Johannesburg, and his father is South African, who entitles him to South African citizenship. But when he tried to enroll in secondary school, he realized he didn't have a birth certificate. Having been abandoned by his parents (his father left before he was born and his mother when he was 14), he couldn't prove his status. “It's painful,” he says. "You're practically invisible. You don't exist. It's like living in the shadows. You don't have a bank account, you can't apply for a decent job to earn a living." He tries to stay positive, but says it's been challenging. "When I see my classmates, they've already finished school. I, on the other hand, couldn't continue studying. It's a lot. Depression used to be my constant companion." Ncube is one of at least 10,000 stateless people living in South Africa who, despite being born there, struggle to provide their nationality and access public services. There are unofficial statistics on the number of people Stateless people tend to go unnoticed. Therefore, the figures are based on estimates from bodies such as the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and civil rights organizations. Without citizenship, stateless people cannot obtain documents and have difficulty accessing basic needs, such as education and healthcare.

Multifactorial cause

Statelessness is due to many factors, including administrative barriers and poor record management. Therefore, it is difficult to calculate the true number of stateless people in many parts of the world.

Lawyer and human rights advocate Christy Chitengu was also stateless.

She obtained South African citizenship just three years ago with the help of the organization Lawyers for Human Rights, which worked on her case pro bono.

“I found out I was stateless when I was 17. The headmistress of my school called me into her office and told me she didn't have any documents for me and didn't understand how I had gotten into the school,” she told the BBC near her home in northern Johannesburg.

“I was born in Johannesburg to foreign parents [both from Zimbabwe], and at birth, I was given a handwritten South African birth certificate.”

But South African officials need a printed certificate.

On several occasions, the BBC contacted the Home Office, which is responsible for immigration matters. in South Africa, to find out how the problem of statelessness is being addressed, but received no response.

Statelessness is not a problem unique to South Africa, but a huge global problem.

It is estimated that there are 4.5 million stateless people worldwide.

Some claim the figure could even reach 15 million.

Experts believe that addressing the problem requires policy changes, such as allowing refugees to register their children in their place of birth and granting mothers the right to pass on their nationality to their children.

“For us, statelessness is not just a legal issue, but a matter that affects the right to development,” says Jesus Perez Sanchez of UNHCR.

“A person affected by statelessness will not be able to fully contribute to their host country. That is why we believe it is important, as a matter of inclusion, to address all the problems of statelessness so that all these marginalized people can fully contribute to society and the economy.”

Back in Thembisa, Ncube plays football with the local children.

After years of struggle, he now has a lawyer who is helping him obtain the documents that prove his belonging to this place.

He wants to go back to school to study computer science. He hopes that having the documents will open doors to a better future.

Additional information from Christian Parkinson.

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You can also follow us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, and our WhatsApp channel. And remember that you can receive notifications in our app. Download the latest version and activate them.The headmistress of my school called me into her office and told me she didn't have any documents for me and didn't understand how I had gotten into the school,” she told the BBC near her home in northern Johannesburg.

“I was born in Johannesburg to foreign parents [both from Zimbabwe], and at birth, I was given a handwritten South African birth certificate.”

But South African officials need a printed certificate.

On several occasions, the BBC contacted the Home Office, which is responsible for immigration matters. in South Africa, to find out how the problem of statelessness is being addressed, but received no response.

Statelessness is not a problem unique to South Africa, but a huge global problem.

It is estimated that there are 4.5 million stateless people worldwide.

Some claim the figure could even reach 15 million.

Experts believe that addressing the problem requires policy changes, such as allowing refugees to register their children in their place of residence. birth and granting mothers the right to pass on their nationality to their children.

“For us, statelessness is not just a legal issue, but a matter that affects the right to development,” says Jesus Perez Sanchez of UNHCR.

“A person affected by statelessness will not be able to fully contribute to their host country. That is why we believe it is important, as a matter of inclusion, to address all the problems of statelessness so that all these marginalized people can fully contribute to society and the economy. open doors to a better future.

Additional information from Christian Parkinson.

Click here to read more stories from BBC News Mundo.

Subscribe here to our new newsletter to receive a selection of our best content of the week every Friday.

You can also follow us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, and our WhatsApp channel. And remember that you can receive notifications in our app.The headmistress of my school called me into her office and told me she didn't have any documents for me and didn't understand how I had gotten into the school,” she told the BBC near her home in northern Johannesburg.

“I was born in Johannesburg to foreign parents [both from Zimbabwe], and at birth, I was given a handwritten South African birth certificate.”

But South African officials need a printed certificate.

On several occasions, the BBC contacted the Home Office, which is responsible for immigration matters. in South Africa, to find out how the problem of statelessness is being addressed, but received no response.

Statelessness is not a problem unique to South Africa, but a huge global problem.

It is estimated that there are 4.5 million stateless people worldwide.

Some claim the figure could even reach 15 million.

Experts believe that addressing the problem requires policy changes, such as allowing refugees to register their children in their place of residence. birth and granting mothers the right to pass on their nationality to their children.

“For us, statelessness is not just a legal issue, but a matter that affects the right to development,” says Jesus Perez Sanchez of UNHCR.

“A person affected by statelessness will not be able to fully contribute to their host country. That is why we believe it is important, as a matter of inclusion, to address all the problems of statelessness so that all these marginalized people can fully contribute to society and the economy. open doors to a better future.